Of Sight and Sound
by positivefly
Summary: *Complete!* When a detention goes awry can Harry and Draco learn to work together?
1. chapter one

Of Sight and Sound  
  
By Moondancer  
  
Disclaimer: In the next chapter..  
  
FYI: This is still a work in progress. It's now being beta read! Special thanks to my wonderful, magnificent, awesome betas Lori and Liz (VeelaSong)! They did a great job fixing my mistakes :o)  
  
Chapter one (beta read by Lori)  
  
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"Take that back Potter!" Screamed an enraged Draco Malfoy, wand aimed and ready. "Or I'll make you wish Voldemort had managed to kill you!"  
  
He didn't care that there was a classroom full of people (including the potions teacher, Professor Snape himself) witnessing him threaten another student. All his attention was on the person standing in front of him, wand also aimed. Harry Potter's face mirroring Draco's fury.  
  
Potions had started off badly that Friday afternoon. Both were in a foul mood when Prof. Snape paired them off together, much to Draco's chagrin. He couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into his favorite teacher and Head of House who usually treated him like a son. But lately Snape had seemed cooler towards Draco, leaving him to wonder what he had done to warrant such treatment.  
  
All through the lesson the tension between the two adversaries grew. The other students cast wary glances their way, as though they were a bomb about to explode. Which they finally did with only five minutes left in the class.  
  
One of them had finally said too much to push the other over the edge (Draco couldn't remember who said what). All he knew is he wanted to curse Potter into oblivion and finally be rid of the presence that had caused him so much grief these past six years. But Potter looked willing to do the same to him, his green eyes blazing with anger.  
  
Draco's last verbal jab seemed to push Potter over the edge. He leveled his wand and threw a curse towards Draco, who had uttered a curse of his own a millisecond later.  
  
They both missed their intended targets. Both hitting Prof. Snape instead who had thrown himself in between the two combatants at the worst possible moment.  
  
Snape stood shock still for a moment as the curses took affect, the boys voices still echoing in the now silent dungeon classroom. Draco watched in horror as his teacher's normally sallow skin started to turn a vibrant shade of pumpkin orange, a colour he had intended for Potter. Even as his skin changed colour Snape broke into a fairly intricate Irish jig, which Draco would have been doing had the Professor not gotten in the way.  
  
The students around them couldn't contain their laughter while Draco and Potter could only look on in dismay. Snape was never more dangerous then when his pride had been injured.  
  
"Potter! Malfoy!" He yelled breathlessly, legs kicking and flailing uncontrollably. "Detention!" Another tirade was interrupted as their now colourful potions master jigged and twirled his way into his private office.  
  
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'Figures Snape would make us serve detention outside on the coldest night of the year!' Harry thought as he trudged behind a now normal coloured Snape, who didn't look too worse for wear other than the occasional twirl or skip in his step. Beside Harry walked an equally miserable looking Malfoy, both their wands confiscated before they set out into the chilly night. They were both shivering despite the weight of their cloaks. The late November moon serving as their only light.  
  
The rest of that day Harry's fellow sixth year Gryffindors had been in hysterics at the remembered image of their dreaded potions professor bright orange and jigging (with a surprising amount of skill) all over the place. But Harry was too apprehensive over his imminent detention to join in.  
  
'What on earth could Snape possibly have in store for them tonight?' Harry wondered as he struggled to keep up with his professor's rapid, long legged strides, which he noticed were taking them to Hagrid's cabin. Great, Hagrid always had some sort of potentially dangerous creature that needed tending.  
  
With a quick sweep of his hand (which Harry realized was still pumpkin orange) Snape led them behind Hargid's home. A half dozen creatures lay sleeping in a large, high fenced pen. They were apparently new acquisitions of Hagrid's; they were about six feet tall and appeared to be a mixture of rooster, dragon and snake. Uglier than Blast-Ended Skrewts was the only way Harry could think to describe them. Things certainly didn't bode well.  
  
Without any preamble Snape began. "Tonight you two will be cleaning up the Cockatrice pen. Hagrid assures me that the creatures are perfectly harmless as long as they are asleep. All you need to do is clean up any food remnants and droppings."  
  
Harry surveyed the creature's pen. It didn't look too messy. As long as he and Malfoy kept quiet and stayed out of each other's way they would be done within the hour. Malfoy appeared to have come to the same conclusion, regaining some of his swagger.  
  
Harry was about to breath a tentative sigh of relief. Other than the smell and having to spend a Friday evening with Malfoy he figured he was getting off easy.  
  
He should have known better.  
  
"Now, before you think you're getting off easy," Snape continued, with an evil glint in his eyes that made Harry's stomach sink. "You both should know that, while cockatrice's are very heavy sleepers they are extremely irritable and violent when their sleep is interrupted. If one wakes up unexpectedly it will wake the others and they will all attack whoever or whatever is in their territory that doesn't belong there."  
  
That didn't sound good.  
  
"So use extreme caution."  
  
As long as Malfoy stayed out of his way Harry figured he would be okay. He was prepared to enter the pen and start his task when Snape starting to speak again.  
  
"I must say I am quite tired of both of your bickering and insults. I placed you two together in class today to force you to find a way to co- operate, if only for an hour. Obviously I overestimated both of you. While I've come to expect such behavior from you Mr. Potter," Harry met Snape's glare defiantly before the man turned his gaze to the other student. "I am very disappointed that you couldn't control yourself Mr. Malfoy."  
  
Harry had to use all his willpower not to smirk at the sight of Malfoy flushing under the teacher's piercing gaze.  
  
"Now, to ensure that you two work together to complete this task I've given to you tonight I will place you both under a spell. This will force you to co-operate or risk having your arms ripped off by a sleep deprived cockatrice."  
  
Snape was grinning malevolently now and Harry felt himself pale. A quick glance at Malfoy confirmed that the other looked equally worried.  
  
If he hadn't been so petrified Harry would have laughed as Malfoy frantically backed away from Snape as the man advanced on him with his wand. With a muttered spell a shot of purple light shot from Snape's wand towards Malfoy's eyes. Malfoy covered his face in surprise. When he lowered his hands he started swing his head back and forth frantically.  
  
"I can't see! Why can't I see?!" His voice was high pitched with horror. A horror Harry matched. Even from where he stood he could tell Malfoy's normally pale grey eyes seemed to be pitch black, obviously a result of the spell.  
  
"Relax Draco, it's only temporary." Snape said calmly. This did little to ease the boy's terror, his sightless eyes wide.  
  
Harry had to resist the urge to run when Snape leveled his wand towards him. He was practically blind without his glasses anyway, he reasoned, he could adjust to total blindness.  
  
He closed his eyes when Snape muttered another spell.  
  
When he opened them he was relieved that he was still able to see. Snape must have done the spell wrong. Then he realized something was wrong. He could see his Professor's mouth moving but there was no sound. In fact the whole world was silent. He was deaf.  
  
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Professor Snape stood the now disabled boys side by side and continued his instructions. He cast a simple spell to make his words spell out in the air for Potter's benefit.  
  
"Now, a few more things you should know. When a cockatrice is about to awake it will make a low mewing sound. That will serve as your warning to leave the pen immediately. Mr. Malfoy, you will serve as the alarm. It'll be up to you to alert Potter to the danger. Once alerted, it will be up to you Potter to lead you both to safety. But hopefully it won't come to that."  
  
Snape had to smile at that aspect of his plan. The teenagers would now think their co-operation would be essential to their survival. Even though he had exaggerated the ferocity of sleep-deprived cockatrices, his two students didn't know that.  
  
"Detention will be over once you've found a way to work together and complete the task set for you. Once the pen is fully cleaned, I will lift the spells and restore your sight and sound."  
  
He led his two very distressed students, Malfoy clinging to his arm as he stumbled, into the pen. He stepped out and secured the gate behind him.  
  
Still grinning, Snape headed back to the castle and the familiar dank of his dungeon. He knew he would get into a lot of trouble when (and if) the headmaster or his fellow teachers ever caught wind of the stunt he just pulled. Using magic as punishment on unruly students was forbidden. But he didn't care. Potter and Malfoy's constant bickering and scraps had been getting on his nerves for years. And now being the latest unsuspecting victim was the last straw. Those two had to learn.  
  
He knew it would seem out of character for he, Snape - Head of Slytherin House, to be so harsh on a student in his house, and on one of his favorites no less. But young Malfoy, with his cocky swagger and sneering attitude reminded Snape way too much of the boy's father, Lucius. It wouldn't hurt the boy to be taken down a notch, in his opinion.  
  
He could almost hear the howler he was sure to get once the elder Malfoy heard of the injustice his precious son had been subjected to. But Snape had gotten into water hotter then this before. He could handle it.  
  
It wasn't as if the boys were in any real danger. Unless they did something incredibly stupid there would be no permanent damage and a great lesson would be learned. Putting aside differences to work together for one. Never mess with your potions professor for another. The latter being the most important in Snape's opinion.  
  
Now, he hoped, they would both think twice before throwing around annoying curses, especially when he was in the room.  
  
Snape caught sight of his still orange hand. With a growl of frustration he headed towards his personal stores. As he mixed the potion needed to fully return his skin to it's normal colour the two he had left outside were temporarily forgotten.  
  
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	2. Disclaimer, random author notes & dedica...

Disclaimer: All things recognizable from the Harry Potter books aren't mine, they came from the mind of the talented J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing them. This story was done purely for fun, there is no financial gain involved (even though I wish there was)  
  
A/N: Any oversights from the book, misspelled words or out of character- ness can be explained by this, I am not JKR, I can't even pretend to be in the same league, this is just a bit of fan fiction done by me for fun. I'm sure similar stories have been done before, there are thousands of HP stories on fanfiction.net alone, many of which I have never read, so I can't claim mine is 100% original. But I did NOT knowingly copy anyone else's story, any similarities are purely coincidental.  
  
This idea has been bugging me for a while, I just had to get it out of my system. It's not to be taken too seriously though, just my attempt at being funny :O)  
  
Dedication: To my dad for unwittingly giving me the idea for this story one night in a MSN chatroom.  
  
Memorial: In remembrance of my 20 Gig, Fujitsu hard drive. March 13, 2001 to September 29, 2002. You saved well and your data will be missed...  
  
Rating: PG just to be safe 


	3. chapter two

This chapter beta read by Liz.  
  
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~ "Did you hear that?" Said the blind man to the deaf man. ~  
  
Draco stood in the cockatrice pen; afraid to even breathe lest he disturb one of the horrific creatures he pictured surrounding him. Once he heard Prof. Snape's departing footsteps panic seemed to seize him. He was trapped, unarmed and blind in a pen of potentially vicious cocktrice's. Partially dependent, on Harry Potter of all people, for his survival. The only thought that gave some comfort was that Potter was as equally dependent on him.  
  
He stretched out with his remaining senses, trying to get better stock of his surroundings. He could hear the wind rustling the trees of the nearby forbidden forest to his left, as he could also feel it blowing in his face. He could hear the deep rumbling breathing of the cockatrices as they slept. He could smell the crisp night air, laced with the scent of the beasts themselves.  
  
The more he thought about it, the more he realized why Snape had chosen to make him blind instead of Potter. If Draco had been made deaf, he could have very well used his remaining eyesight to abandon a helpless Potter and let him stumble his way to possible disfiguration (which he would very well be tempted to do). But Potter, being the annoyingly brave and chivalrous Gryffindor he was, would never leave Draco to meet that fate. Snape was indeed a true Slytherin. If he weren't so angry and scared he would have applauded his teacher for the simple genius of this punishment.  
  
He really didn't know what had gotten into Snape. The teacher usually gave him a lot of slack. But lately his head of house would issue him the same punishments he would give other students.  
  
For a second he considered writing his father to tell him how he was being treated. But he quickly reconsidered it. His father had started making it clear the summer passed that he expected Draco to "be a man" and "deal with his own problems". Or in other words, Lucius was too busy being a lackey to Voldemort to pay any interest in his son.  
  
He froze as he thought he heard one of the creatures stir. 'Where is Potter?' He anxiously thought to himself. He was desperate to locate the other boy, who would have to serve as his eyes. He heard a rustling to his right.  
  
Okay, time to find Potter.  
  
The rustling grew closer. His fear overcame his good sense when he called, in a harsh whisper, "Potter!" He was chastising himself a second later. "Potter is deaf you fool," he muttered to himself. "He can't hear you."  
  
He jumped a foot in the air when, right into his ear, Potter yelled, "What were you saying Malfoy!"  
  
Draco nearly lost his balance, but hands grabbed the front of his cloak to steady him. "Merlin, Potter!" He said, again in that harsh whisper. "Stop yelling! I'm not the one who's deaf."  
  
"WHAT?" Potter yelled again, even louder this time.  
  
Was that a mewing sound reaching Draco's ears?  
  
Frantic Draco turned towards Harry's voice, only taking half a step before colliding with the other boy. He reached up a hand, hoping to cover Potter's mouth. Only managing to poke Potter in the eye (an amazing feat, considering they were covered by glasses), causing his rival let out an earsplitting yelp.  
  
"Watch what you're doing, you idiot!"  
  
Draco didn't even take the time to marvel at the stupidity of that comment before successfully locating and covering Potter's mouth. He said in a dangerous whisper, careful to overly enunciate each word.  
  
"BE. QUIET."  
  
After a few seconds of struggling Potter seemed to clue in. He broke free of Draco, and in a normal tone asked.  
  
"Now what are we supposed to do?"  
  
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~ "Did you see that?" Said the deaf man to the blind man ~  
  
Harry was sweating now, long since disposing of his cloak. Malfoy stood right in front of him, still shivering. Harry was doing most of the work, he didn't want to risk having Malfoy blindly stumbling about, potentially treading on a slumbering cockatrice. And he also wanted to keep the other boy in his line of sight at all times. So Harry had given him the task of holding the bin in which he would shovel the waste.  
  
As he hefted up another shovel full of animal droppings, he cursed Snape for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. The teacher had obviously known what he'd been doing when he selected to make Malfoy blind and Harry deaf. Being blind got Malfoy out most of the backbreaking labor he, Harry, was now forced to do alone.  
  
He glanced at Malfoy, trying to read his expression and body language for any hint that something may be wrong.  
  
Harry was starting to adjust to his now silent world by relying on his other senses. He became acutely aware of any movement that caught his eye, any vibrations in the ground that would signal him of someone (or thing's) approach. He was aware of any change in the air or any scent that hadn't been there before.  
  
Funnily enough it was the little sounds he missed the most. The wind blowing in his ears, the rustle of his clothing, his own comforting breathing and heartbeat. He felt very disconnected from the rest of the world, which still existed in sound.  
  
It also wasn't too comforting to know that he had to rely on Malfoy for anything, let alone his safety.  
  
Harry wished Dumbledore was there, but the headmaster was away for the weekend along with Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. The wise old wizard would surely put a stop to this punishment. Or would he? The enigmatic Dumbledore could very well find the whole thing amusing.  
  
Harry let his mind wander to all the things he would do to Snape if ever he had the courage to get revenge.  
  
He spared another glance at Malfoy who now appeared to be saying something.  
  
In what he hoped was a hushed voice Harry asked, "What's that Malfoy?"  
  
He cast a quick look around when Malfoy started at the sound of his voice. But the other boy only shook his head and mouthed what looked to be, "Nothing."  
  
The two had established, after the first confused and frantic minutes, that in order to communicate Malfoy must give Harry some sort of visual sign, usually a nod or headshake.  
  
He fought back another wave of annoyance at the other boy who, despite his shivering, looked quite smug. Apparently enjoying listening to Harry grunt and groan as he worked.  
  
Harry had to withstand the urge to simply abandon Malfoy in the pen to fend for himself. But of course his pesky conscience wouldn't let him.  
  
He let out what he thought was a world-weary sigh and continued with his work. And after what seemed like an eternity he was down to the last pile of filth that needed to be disposed of. He led Malfoy by the shoulders to reposition him to keep him within his line of vision and carried on.  
  
When Harry was done he made to move towards Malfoy but found his foot caught on something. When he looked down he saw that one of the cockatrices had shifted in it's sleep and it's leg was now pinning his foot. This could get tricky.  
  
"Here, hold this," he said to Malfoy, preparing to give his shovel a slight toss towards the other boy. But he miscalculated his throw. He had thrown it too hard, the handle of the shovel crashing into an unsuspecting Malfoy's face. With what looked like a shout of pain and surprise Malfoy fell backwards.  
  
Straight onto a sleeping Cockatrice.  
  
Forgetting the predicament he, himself was in, Harry took a step towards his fallen companion. Managing to only fall forward, onto his face. With the wind knocked out of him, he took one second to ponder how odd if felt to fall with no sound.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Malfoy struggling to get to his feet. Harry rushed over to help him.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked as a panicky Malfoy found his footing.  
  
The other boy seemed to be losing it, making frantic gestures, his face frozen in fear. It took a few seconds for Harry to clue in to what was causing the other's distress. A quick glance around confirmed his fear. The cockatrices were waking up.  
  
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	4. chapter three

Chapter Three - (o: Beta read by Lori :o)  
  
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Draco felt like he had been running forever. His heart was pounding and his lungs burning. He couldn't remember ever being more frightened in his life. He felt so vulnerable, almost at the complete mercy of Harry Potter.  
  
He had absolutely no idea where he was being led; having completely lost his bearings once whatever Potter had thrown at him had crashed into his face. He found it nothing short of a miracle that the famous boy-who-lived had managed to stay alive as long as he had; he was so thick at times.  
  
Potter, who had been dragging him along by the arm, finally slowed his mad flight. Draco stopped to catch his breath, hands on knees.  
  
He tried to collect his senses. Sounds assaulted his ears. Wind, rustling braches and leaves, his and Potter's ragged breathing and various eerily unidentifiable sounds. The wind was less cutting where they were. The cold night air smelled of damp earth and decaying leaves.  
  
Draco knew where they were now. That fool Potter had led them straight into the Forbidden Forest.  
  
A string of curses escaped Draco's mouth. All of them directed towards Potter. He wished they weren't falling on deaf ears. Potter deserved to actually hear the tongue-lashing he was getting.  
  
Back in the cockatrice pen he had amused himself by flinging insults at the unhearing Potter without having to worry about retaliation (even if the idiot had looked up and questioned what he was doing, again in that loud voice). But the novelty quickly wore off. If Draco Malfoy was going to insult someone, he wanted him or her to hear it.  
  
He shook his head in disbelief. Lost and blind in the forest with none other than Harry Potter was not how he envisioned spending a Friday night. He should be sitting in front of the fire of the Slytherin common room, marveling everyone with his various witty comments and clever evil schemes.  
  
This night was a nightmare brought to life. He just could not believe Potter led them into the forest. The school would have been the smart (and logical) choice. This just confirmed what Draco always thought; Potter wasn't all that bright to begin with. Why hadn't the other boy just closed the gate to the pen to begin with? Why had he thrown something at a blind person with little more preparation than "here, hold this."? The perfect Gryffindor couldn't be that stupid. Could he?  
  
An unpleasant, random thought struck Draco then.  
  
What if Potter was trying to kill him? Make it look like an accident..  
  
He was about to push that thought away as complete rubbish. Model Gryffindor, boy wonder, the great Harry Potter would never think of harming an ant let alone murdering a fellow student. Would he?  
  
Draco gave his head a shake. It wasn't like Potter could have planned this. Getting put together in potions, turning Snape orange, getting detention together, serving it outside, temporarily losing one of their senses, disturbing and being chased by fearsome beasts, hiding out in the forest where many an accident could befall one of them. Unless they were psychic, no one could have planned that.  
  
It must have been Draco's current vulnerability and underlying fear impairing his mind because he couldn't let that thought go.  
  
So maybe Potter didn't plan this whole mess, but he could simply abandon Draco here. Stumbling around completely blind, many unspeakable things could happen to him. He could stumble upon one of the forests more unsavory residents and wind up as a snack. He could wander off a cliff, plummeting to his death. Or he could simply walk around in circles until he faded away to nothing.  
  
'No, Potter wouldn't do that.' Draco tried to reassure himself. 'He didn't abandon me in the cockatrice pen, why would he leave me here?'  
  
But even as he thought that he realized he could no longer hear the other boy's breathing. In fact he could hear no sound that would indicate anyone (well, any ~human~ anyway) was nearby. No rustling of clothing, no footsteps on leaf covered ground.  
  
Draco let his panic overwhelm his good sense. Screaming for Potter at the top of his lungs, running around, frantically waving his arms. Not caring if he alerted hungry monsters to his whereabouts. He was in full terror mode.  
  
He hit the ground before he even realized that he had fallen. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~  
  
Just when Harry thought his night couldn't get any worse.  
  
Spending a Friday night in detention was bad enough. Spending it with Malfoy, outside in the cold, rendered deaf and now lost in the Forbidden Forest had turned it into some sort of twisted nightmare. He felt like he had taken a step from reality into some bizarre alternate universe.  
  
As he took in his surroundings he reflected on his and Malfoy's flight from the cockatrice pen.  
  
Okay, so maybe the forest hadn't been the best location to flee to. But it wasn't like he had had much choice.  
  
Once he had managed to get out of the pen, after he had doubled back to rescue a desperately flailing Malfoy whom he had nearly forgotten, most of the cockatrices had woken up and were hot on their tail. He didn't get the chance to close the gate to the pen properly. Unfortunately the gate opened towards the forest, and with a small herd of raging cockatrices between them and the school Harry had taken the only path open to them.  
  
Harry looked around, shock still and holding his breath, keeping his eyes trained for any sign of danger. He could still see the moon, as most of the trees had lost their leaves.  
  
After his fair share of journeys into the Forbidden Forest Harry knew of some of the creatures that lived there. It was bad enough being there with all your faculties, but to be without one of your senses and wandless (and cloak-less for that matter) would almost certainly end with disaster.  
  
It was not a cheery thought to know he wouldn't know if even the loudest of creature were upon him until it was in his face. That's why he planned on keeping Malfoy close by. He still needed the other to act as his alarm. And he knew his nemesis was pretty helpless in his current state.  
  
Harry also felt kind of guilty. It hadn't been the smartest move to throw a heavy object at a blind person, no matter how delicate the throw was intended to be.  
  
Speaking of Malfoy, where was he?  
  
Harry's heart was in his throat for a few seconds until he located the other boy.  
  
But it stopped when he saw what Malfoy was doing.  
  
His Slytherin counterpart seemed to be having a fit. He appeared to be yelling as he ran, sightlessly waving his arms like a mad man.  
  
Harry frantically searched for any sign of what could be distressing Malfoy so, but he could see nothing dangerous lurking around.  
  
His eyes were drawn back to his companion when he saw him fall, face first, to the ground. Hard.  
  
Harry rushed forward to help him.  
  
"Are you okay?" he inquired. Not caring if he was keeping his voice level.  
  
The expression on Malfoy's face showed that he was anything but okay. He wore a mixture of pain, annoyance, unadulterated fear and, curiously enough, relief.  
  
Harry couldn't remember ever seeing such a.. well a human expression on his rival's face before. He actually forgot for a moment that he despised the other boy as he helped him to his feet.  
  
Malfoy tried to take a step only to fall into Harry's arms, favoring his right ankle. His body tense and face wan with pain.  
  
After sitting him back down and a bizarre pantomime Harry was finally able to decipher that Malfoy had injured his ankle from that fall. A quick look proving that it was indeed quite swollen.  
  
Defeated, Harry sat down beside Malfoy on the cold ground, wondering what to do next. For the first time realizing how cold he was in his cloak-less state, the article of clothing abandoned in the cockatrice pen. His teeth chattered as he shook uncontrollably.  
  
One thing was certain; they couldn't stay where they were.  
  
Malfoy was defenseless; blind and injured he was a sitting duck. And Harry would surely freeze to death in the frigid night air.  
  
When he voiced these concerns to Malfoy he was given a nod of agreement.  
  
Harry got to his feet and hauled his companion up as well. He put his arm around Malfoy's waist while the other boy put his arm around Harry's shoulders.  
  
Thus supporting Malfoy, Harry set off.  
  
They only made it one step before Malfoy fell, taking Harry with him. The ankle was apparently worse then they had thought.  
  
Harry tried desperately to interpret what Malfoy said next. He shook his head violently when it sunk in.  
  
"No way, Malfoy." He said in what he hoped was a firm voice. "I'm not going to carry you."  
  
Malfoy's expression seemed to say, "What choice do we have?"  
  
They argued in their strange way for a few minutes before Harry finally relented.  
  
Awkwardly positioning the other boy behind him, Harry hoisted Malfoy onto his back with an almighty heave.  
  
As if being forced to carry his arch nemesis piggyback around the Forbidden Forest was bad enough, the other boy seemed to be impossibly heavy. Harry couldn't believe Malfoy weighed so much; they both appeared to be the same size. But the other's weight was making his knees buckle.  
  
"Blimey, Malfoy! What do you eat? You weigh a ton!" Harry said aloud, forgetting to keep his voice level.  
  
He was rewarded with a sharp kick to his left leg.  
  
Harry contemplated just dropping Malfoy right there and leaving him to the residents of the forest. But again his conscience wouldn't let him.  
  
With a sigh he headed back the way he hoped they had come. Praying that he and his rider would make it out of the forest without encountering any cranky cockatrices or various other baddies that lived there  
  
'Well,' Harry thought, trying to be optimistic as Malfoy's added body heat and his exertion started to kick in, 'At least I'm not cold any more.'  
  
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Professor Snape stalked through the silent halls of Hogwarts. It had been nearly two hours since he left his two detentionees out in the cockatrice pen. Surely they would be finished by now. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving them out there for so long, unsupervised in the cold. But quickly squashed it when he remember the humiliation his orange skin and wild dancing had caused.  
  
He had finally gotten all his skin back to its normal colour, but had to endure ingesting several revolting potions to accomplish this. That just added more fuel to his enraged fire, squashing whatever doubt he was starting to have about the punishment he had doled out to the two culprits.  
  
He growled aloud as the laughter of the students who had witnessed his embarrassment rang in his ears. He had no doubt that by the start of classes on Monday morning all the children would be aware of what had happened.  
  
He had spent quite some time in front of his mirror earlier, trying to find the most effective glower to hopefully reinstate his fearsome image. He knew he had the right potency when the mirror screamed in terror before shattering.  
  
The cold wind was biting now as he made his way towards Hagrid's cabin. Once he caught sight of the cockatrice pen he knew something was wrong.  
  
He broke into a run, each step confirming his fear. The pen was empty of boy and beast.  
  
The gate swung open in the wind. The only evidence that the pen had once been occupied was the trampled dirt, a discarded shovel and bin, and a cloak. Which on closer inspection he identified as Potter's.  
  
Clutching the cloak desperately, his eyes followed the pattern of footprints. Any left by human feet had been covered over by that of the cockatrice. The remaining prints seemed to lead straight into the nearby Forbidden Forest.  
  
He could only stand there in disbelief and horror before saying the first thing that came to his mind.  
  
"Oh f---!"  
  
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Chapter three: A/N: Oh my, how I hate this chapter. I rewrote it so many times and so many different ways this final product is so different from the first one I wrote (did that make sense?). I am so determined to finish this story, bad or not, that I posted this chapter anyway. Don't be surprised if it changes.  
  
Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews :O) ~hugs~ to you all. Britta asked me how I came up with the idea. Basically it was just something my dad said when I was chatting with him and my sister online one night.. "Did you hear that?" the blind man said to the deaf man. (I quoted him in the story) Or something like that. I thought it was funny and it kept running through my head. Then I had an eureka moment and an idea was born. This story is the result. 


	5. chapter four

Chapter Four (Beta: Liz)  
  
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As time passed and nothing had happened some of Draco's fear had diminished. And now all he could think about was how uncomfortable he was.  
  
He had long since lost feeling in his legs, the circulation being cut off by Potter's arms, which were holding him up. But at least his ankle had stopped throbbing.  
  
His arms were tired and stiff from the constant grip he had to keep around Potter's shoulders, his exposed fingers freezing in the chilly night air.  
  
And he kept getting mouthfuls of Potter's hair, which he spat out in disgust. He wondered why the annoying Gryffindor had to have such unmanageable hair.  
  
And above all, he hated being so helpless. Carried around like a child by someone he detested beyond all reason. He was glad none of his lackey's could see him. He didn't think his pride could take having them see him in his current state.  
  
Potter didn't sound too cheery either. Draco realizing that the wooly fabric under his fingers wasn't that of Potter's cloak, but that of a jumper. The idiot must of lost his cloak somewhere along the way. Not a smart thing to do in the cold of November. But the way the other boy was huffing and puffing Draco reckoned the effort Potter was putting out must have been keeping him warm.  
  
He felt a wave of annoyance when he remembered Potter's earlier jibe about his weight. Draco was quite certain he didn't weigh 'a ton'.  
  
He, like Potter, was quite small for his age, as well as slender. He was definitely due for a growth spurt. It wasn't his fault that the pride of Gryffindor was as weak as a little girl.  
  
But, Draco had to admit (if only to himself); he begrudgingly felt a certain amount of gratitude towards Potter. The other just kept refusing to abandon him (a courtesy Draco himself wouldn't have extended) and even agreed to carry someone he dislikes greatly around on his back. Draco imagined the other boy didn't enjoy being this close to him either.  
  
Maybe Potter wasn't that bad.  
  
Draco could never understand Voldemort's desire to kill the boy with the messy hair and glasses. He personally thought it foolish to focus so much attention on one person. But he supposed the Dark Lord had had a long time to stew over it.  
  
He knew never to speak these thoughts aloud. Speaking against the dark wizard was one of the best ways Draco knew to get killed. If Voldemort himself didn't kill him, his father would. His old dad could be very ruthless, even with his only son. He had better odds of survival in his current predicament than he would if he ever angered Lucius.  
  
Now, after what seemed like hours of being toted around with nothing- untoward happening, Draco was bored.  
  
It wasn't like he could have a stimulating discussion with Potter, deaf as the other was. Draco found it highly unlikely he and his rival could carry on a civilized conversation without flinging insults (and curses) at one another anyway.  
  
Draco, sputtering out yet another mouthful of Potter's disobedient hair, took to reciting potion ingredients. Potions was his best class. And his favorite, when Professor Snape wasn't having one of his mood swings.  
  
He quickly grew bored of that though. Who wanted to think of schoolwork while lost in the forest? Well, maybe Granger.  
  
His legs were now tingling unpleasantly, filled with pins and needles. They were crying out for more blood flow. If he could see he was certain his legs would be blue.  
  
He tried swinging them around, wanting to wake them up. He succeeded only in jolting his sore ankle when his foot came into contact with Potter's leg. Reminding Draco that it was still sprained.  
  
"Ouch! Watch it!"  
  
Potter's yell echoed in the quiet forest. Draco again becoming aware of how precarious their situation was. He resisted the temptation to kick Potter again for that yelled comment.  
  
He tuned his now extra keen hearing to listen if there were any sounds that might hint towards danger. It was difficult as every sound that reached his ears could be a threat.  
  
He and Potter continued at a pace that was continuously slowing as Potter tired. Draco could both feel and hear the other boy's breathing grow more ragged. Sounding overly loud to his ears.  
  
He was contemplating on how to tell Potter to stop for a rest when he heard it.  
  
Coming up quickly behind them, a rustling sound of something passing through bush and leaves. It was rapidly getting closer.  
  
Draco looked over his shoulder by reflex only to be further maddened by his persistent blindness.  
  
The sound grew closer.  
  
Panicking now, Draco tightened his grip around Potter with both his arms and legs. Willing him to hurry up. He nearly screamed in frustration and fear when the other boy stopped dead.  
  
He tightened his arms and kicked his legs, ignoring the pain in his ankle, hoping Potter would get the hint. Danger approaching, get a move on!  
  
In a matter of seconds he felt his lower half being dropped. Unable to support himself on his numb legs and bad ankle he fell, never relinquishing his grip around Potter's neck, bringing the other boy down on top of him.  
  
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As his apprehension wore off Harry felt the extra energy it caused subside as well. He was exhausted and convinced that Malfoy was somehow making himself deliberately heavy just to make Harry suffer.  
  
His legs felt like jelly, like they would give at any second. It didn't help that they appeared to be going in circles.  
  
Harry had to admit, they were thoroughly lost.  
  
He wondered if anyone was out looking for them. Surely Snape would have realized that they were missing by now.  
  
Would the potions professor go for help or would he search on his own?  
  
Harry could just see the surly professor doing just that. Taking up search by himself, then blaming all the nights misadventures on Harry. That would be just like the man.  
  
As he trudged along Harry allowed himself to indulge in a little fantasy. One that involved Snape getting sacked for this little scheme of his. But his enjoyment of the daydream was short lived when his legs started to ache with a passion.  
  
Where was a centaur when you needed one?  
  
Harry realized he should be thanking his lucky stars that they had yet to encounter any threatening, hungry monsters. But he was too exhausted to really care.  
  
He hated the humiliating position he was currently in. He was sure Malfoy was really enjoying having Harry carry him around. He had no doubt his passenger was just itching to retell all this to his Slytherin cronies.  
  
He could feel Malfoy's warm breath on the back of his neck and suppressed a shudder. Will this night never end?  
  
Harry wished nothing more then to drop his burden and collapse on the cold ground to take a long nap (cloak or no cloak). A nice drink of water would be nice. He was very thirsty. But he'd rather suffer in silence then admit this to Malfoy.  
  
His stupid pride was almost as annoying as his conscience.  
  
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a kick to his right leg. He yelled without thinking, not even sure of what he said. A quick look around revealing no sign of danger. And Malfoy didn't appear to be panicking so he guessed the other boy hadn't heard anything suspicious. He was just making a nuisance of himself (what Malfoy did best).  
  
Harry again fought the urge to drop Malfoy unceremoniously to the ground.  
  
He carried on, step after painful step.  
  
Suddenly his air supply was cut off. Malfoy's wiry arms wrapped vise like around his throat, his legs bearing into Harry's sides.  
  
'He's snapped!' was Harry's frantic thought and he started to fight for air, coming to a stop.  
  
Malfoy just gripped him tighter, now kicking his legs wildly.  
  
Seeing spots and desperate for air, Harry let go of Malfoy and brought his hands up to fight off the arms wound around his neck.  
  
He instead found himself falling backwards as the other boy, who had refused to let go of his neck, dragged him down.  
  
When they hit the ground Malfoy let Harry go. He gasped in air as he struggled to disentangle himself. He got to his feet. Dizzy and with his a very sore throat, he turned to Malfoy, who was still lying on the ground. He meant to grill him with questions when he saw the look of abject terror on the other boy's face.  
  
And in the cold night air in the depths of the Forbidden Forest such terror was contagious.  
  
Something was wrong. Harry could almost feel the tension in the air. Something was lurking nearby. And judging by Malfoy's current expression, it was getting closer.  
  
Forgetting all about his tired muscles and weariness Harry hoisted Malfoy onto his back and set off as fast as he could. Only going a few paces before a sharp kick and frantic hand gesture from his passenger alerted him he was going ~towards~ the apparent danger.  
  
Doing a quick about face Harry ran as fast as he could with the added weight of Malfoy. Fleeing again. Deeper in the wild forest.  
  
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Chapter four: A/N: First off I want to thank all my reviewers! ~Hugs~ You guys are great!!  
  
Yay! I managed another chapter. This one was meant to have another part with some of Snape's antics in the forest but I thought this chapter was quite long enough. So I'll save it for the next one. This part was written mostly while I was at work (yes, I have a very boring job). I seem to get inspired while I'm working. I don't really have any direction with this story, but I'm having so much fun writing it, I don't care!  
  
Thanks for reading :o) 


	6. chapter five

Chapter Five  
  
(Beta: Liz)  
  
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Professor Severus Snape, former Death Eater turned spy, now the most feared teacher at Hogwarts School refused to admit (even to himself) that he was hopelessly lost.  
  
He hated the Forbidden Forest. No, he more than hated the Forest, he was deathly afraid of the forest.  
  
He'd always hated the outdoors. Inside, down in his dungeons, he was in control. He controlled who entered, he controlled whether it was warm or chilly, he controlled whether it was light or dark. That was his domain.  
  
But out in the forest he had no control over anything. Creatures could attack at any moment, totally immune to death glares and cruel words. He couldn't control the temperature or the weather. And Severus Snape hated not being in complete control of whatever situation he was in.  
  
He held his wand at the ready in front of him but planned to use it only if necessary. Many of the more unsavory creatures of the forest were attracted towards any magic that normally didn't occur there. And the last thing he wanted to do was attract any unwanted attention to himself.  
  
But it also meant that he wouldn't be able to use a simple locator spell to find his two wayward students. That definitely made the search all the more difficult. They could be anywhere.  
  
He considered returning to the school to get the assistance of other staff members. But he knew what would happen if the other teachers found out about this little escapade.  
  
He'd lose his job quicker then you could say house elf. Possibly facing charges from the Ministry. And worse, he'd have to face the wrath of one Lucius Malfoy. He'd be lucky to escape with all his limbs intact.  
  
No, better to fix his own mess, maybe with a little bribery to keep the two boys quiet. Even though, a memory charm would be a more viable option.  
  
He decided to worry about that later. Right now he had to concentrate of finding Potter and Malfoy and getting them all out of the forest undamaged.  
  
Fallen leaves hid any trace of possible footprints so Snape just headed off in whatever looked like the clearest path. His cloak still managed to snag on low branches and dead leaves got caught in his hair.  
  
After no more then five minutes Snape was thoroughly frustrated and angry; but mostly at himself.  
  
What had supposed to be an effective and clever exercise, meant both to punish and educate, had turned into an unmitigated disaster. And he could only blame himself for that.  
  
But as always, when he was angry with himself he took it out on others. Tonight it was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy who suffered. Even though Snape himself couldn't say he was having a jolly good time either.  
  
Snape cursed Merlin himself when his forward momentum was suddenly stopped, his cloak becoming caught in the branches of a small, but vicious looking bush. Depositing his wand back into his robe pocket, he started tug at his cloak, hoping to pull it free. But the plant seemed to wrap it gnarled branches even tighter around fabric. In fact, the more he struggled to pull it free, the more it became entangled. After putting up a good fight (this was his favorite cloak!) he finally discarded it and let the bush have its way.  
  
Great, now he had no cloak. Normally he didn't mind the cold too much, but he found it unbearably frigid in the forest.  
  
He looked, with sudden realization, at the article of clothing he had hanging over his arm. Potter's cloak. With a sigh and a shiver he swung the too small cloak over his shoulders, cursing the boy for being so scrawny. It barely covered his shoulders.  
  
Snape set forth again, trying to ignore the red and gold insignia, which seemed to be beaming from the collar of Potter's cloak. He found wearing anything donning Gryffindor paraphernalia degrading.  
  
He had a lot of house pride; it was sort of required when he was the head teacher. He firmly believed that students in Slytherin house had a lot more potential then to become practitioners of dark arts and followers of evil lords, as everyone seemed to expect from them. It was his personal mission to guide as many students as possible away from such paths. Hopefully teaching them to use their cunning elsewhere. One student at the top of his list for such guidance was Draco Malfoy. The boy had great potential, if only Snape could get him from under the thumb of his father.  
  
If only he could find the boy and get him out of the forest in one piece.  
  
He stopped dead, tense, his skin prickling.  
  
Something was watching him. He could feel it. He swung around, digging through his robe pockets for his wand. He brandished it before him when he found it.  
  
His eyes swept the surrounding trees, searching for whatever was amiss.  
  
They locked with a pair of orange eyes that were fixed intently on him. Eerily silent for something so large, the creature advanced on him.  
  
When it came into better view Snape recognized it. It was one of the cockatrices.  
  
He frantically searched his memory to recall what Hagrid had told him about them.  
  
The half giant had assured him that they were harmless, unless they felt threatened. And wandering around in unfamiliar territory was enough to make anyone tense and frightened.  
  
He leveled his wand as the beast approached, baring its teeth (it had teeth!)  
  
It definitely looked to Snape like the creature was about to attack him. Since he had managed to attract a monster without using any magic he supposed it didn't matter if he used a little now.  
  
"Stupefy!" He cried confidently. He was a fully trained wizard and had no doubt to his skill.  
  
He was indeed quite baffled when his wand issued not the tell tale beam of light but a rude sound accompanied by small puff of some noxious smelling smoke.  
  
He looked at his wand in disbelief, coughing through the smoke. He gave himself a quick mental kick in his backside.  
  
It wasn't his wand. He must have forgotten to take Potter's and Malfoy's wands out of his pockets earlier.  
  
Snape and his own wand were like one. He had a hard time using another. The one he now held was longer and more flexible. It had to be Draco's. It was temperamental like the boy himself.  
  
A warning grunt brought him back to reality.  
  
The cockatrice was closer now, moving quickly.  
  
Panicking slightly, Snape decided to take the only avenue he could think of at that moment.  
  
He ran.  
  
He turned and ran as fast as he could.  
  
Fortunately for him he was more nimble in the underbrush and exposed roots of the forest than the beast. It wasn't long before he had lost the cockatrice.  
  
He paused to catch his breath. He realized suddenly how out of shape he was. A little too much time spent in front of a cauldron.  
  
As Snape's labored breathing returned to normal his ears caught a sound. Something that sounded like a human voice carried by the wind.  
  
The boys! It had to be.  
  
He moved towards what he thought was the general direction of the voices. Stepping cautiously, wanting to make sure before he called out.  
  
"Ouch! Watch it!"  
  
That was definitely Potter's voice, raised in anger.  
  
Snape was about to call out to them when another sound reached his ears.  
  
They weren't alone.  
  
Something was between him and the boys. His every instinct telling him that whatever it was had picked up on the scent of his two students and was stalking them. And not to give them a great big hug.  
  
He hastily came up with a plan to press his advantage of being behind, hence not being ~downwind~, assuming whatever was in pursuit of Potter and Malfoy relied on scent. Hoping that he could sneak up behind it and get rid of it with no harm coming to his students.  
  
Snape searched his pockets for his own wand. Finding it, he set out as stealthily as he could.  
  
He didn't get far. The cockatrice was back, blocking his path, looking angrier then before.  
  
And it had bought a friend.  
  
Two very angry cockatrices were bearing down on him now.  
  
Snape again leveled his wand. He just hoped he could get himself out of this mess in time to rescue his students.  
  
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A/N: Ah, yes. Here is the obligatory author's note :P  
  
Wow, a whole chapter entirely from Snape's pov. I hope I didn't take away too much of his dignity, lol. I'm just trying to make the characters as human as possible, hopefully with some humorous quirks :o)  
  
Next chapter is in the works, I seem to be really inspired again (for this story anyway). Should be up by next week. I even have a rough idea how it's going to end and am pretty confident I'll finish it.  
  
Again, I want to thank my reviewers so much! I love you guys ~getting all teary eyed~. It makes my day to know you all enjoy reading my story as much as I do writing it.  
  
I love them so much I just have to give all an honorable mention...  
  
Jasmine Shinga: thanks so much for the multiple reviews! hehe, throwing the shovel at blind Draco was pretty stupid. but I guess poor Harry isn't thinking too clearly with the sudden loss of his hearing.  
  
Crayon: ~blush~ getting your delightful review helped push me to finish this chapter. Thanks so much :o)  
  
Nightwing; The Shroom (love this nickname); Gabriella (thanks for the multiple reviews); tir-synni; Kitten; Amethyst Shard; Cynnamon Flakes; kandra (thanks! The more I reread that chapie, the more I like it); f0xyness39; Gia; celestinne; Britta; Sheep666; Alexa Moreau (hope I answered that question, hehe); Kenna Hijja; Jess Scefing; and finally the first reviewer for this fic. silver-chick! 


	7. chapter six

Chapter Six  
  
(Beta: Liz)  
  
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Harry was tired. No, he was beyond tired. He was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.  
  
It had been a long day for him to begin with. Up at the crack of dawn for a particularly grueling Quidditch practice, a full day of classes, apprehension over his detention, all the physical effort he put out for the actual detention and now this. This desperate fleeing for his (and Malfoy's) life; it was all catching up with him.  
  
His legs felt shaky and the added weight of Malfoy was making his back ache. But he still pushed on. His instinct for survival and lingering guilt over the whole fiasco kept driving him forward.  
  
He wished he dared to look over his shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of whatever was chasing them. He didn't even know how close behind them it was. Only Malfoy's fingers digging urgently into his shoulders told him that the danger was still near.  
  
Harry didn't even want to consider what could be chasing them. Based on Malfoy's reaction, it had to be big.  
  
What he needed was some sort of plan. He couldn't keep this pace up for much longer. His legs threatened to give out on him and he couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs.  
  
He could see no place to hide and with Malfoy in his current condition there was no way they could climb a tree. Which might not do any good anyway as he didn't know the size of the creature chasing them.  
  
Harry's every instinct told him to turn towards the danger and fight. But without his wand or hearing and with a helpless Malfoy to protect he knew that wasn't an option. He was responsible for another's life. He didn't take that responsibility lightly.  
  
The terrifying events of the evening seemed to have washed away some of the distaste Harry felt for his rival. What had started off as his conscience and sense of guilt that kept him from leaving the other boy behind had turned into a very strange feeling of togetherness. They were in this together now, whether they liked it or not.  
  
His legs were starting to cramp painfully. He stumbled and struggled to remain upright after tripping over his own feet. His deafness was disorienting him, badly affecting his balance. His lungs were starting to burn, heart pounding almost painfully.  
  
Harry knew he was reaching the end of his strength. He couldn't run for much longer.  
  
As he started to go over potential courses of action to get them out of this mess, it was taken out of his hands.  
  
They had entered a small, circular clearing. Harry came to a dead stop, paralyzed when he saw that they were now surrounded.  
  
He could make out huge shadowy shapes all around them, slowly closing in.  
  
It had been a trap. Apparently they had been herded to this very spot.  
  
Harry's mind seemed to have frozen in shock. He couldn't believe that he, Harry Potter, who had survived several attempts on his life by the most powerful evil wizard of the time, was about to meet his end at the hand (if these creatures even had hands) of some unknown monster. Partly responsible for the death of another student.  
  
It was that last thought that sprung Harry into action. The memory of Cedric was still a painful part of him. He would not stand by and let another classmate meet his demise while he, Harry, could still fight.  
  
A new determination filled him.  
  
Even exhausted, deaf and without a wand he would defend himself and Draco no matter what.  
  
Almost immediately Harry's resolve faltered when the first creature stepped out of the shadows.  
  
The monsters were huge. Taller than Hagrid and nearly twice as wide, each a wall of solid muscle walking upright on two tree truck-like legs. They reminded Harry of the troll he and his friends faced in their first year. He reckoned the monstrosity before him now must be some how related, a different species of troll.  
  
But these trolls seemed to be far more intelligent.  
  
And more brutal.  
  
Harry could see long, claw-like nails protruding from their huge hands.  
  
He looked up, horrorstruck; at the one he assumed was the leader. It leered down at him, baring its long, uneven teeth.  
  
Harry could only stand there, feet rooted to the spot, mind blank with panic. He didn't need his hearing to know that the monsters were moving in for the kill.  
  
Feeling Draco's vise-like grip on his shoulders and panting breaths on the back of his neck drew Harry back to reality.  
  
He needed to do something.  
  
His hand itched to feel the familiar weight of his wand. He wondered how he ever survived without it.  
  
The current helplessness he felt reminded him of when he was young and used that untrained, unfocused magic unconsciously, usually to escape from Dudley and his gang.  
  
He was suddenly struck by a thought.  
  
What if he could still do that? Do magic even without the aid of his wand or uttering spells?  
  
When he had been young it had been unintentional. He hadn't known what he was doing, it just happened when he needed it to happen. Usually when he was desperate, with nowhere to run.  
  
Well, he certainly was desperate now.  
  
But Harry wasn't a little boy anymore. He was sixteen years old and almost a fully trained wizard.  
  
And he had nothing to lose.  
  
With a few muttered reassuring words Harry, as gently as possible, lowered Draco to the ground. Glancing into the other boy's face briefly.  
  
Draco's strangely clouded eyes were wide with fear and it filled Harry with some newfound determination.  
  
He would not waver this time. He would not fail to protect another classmate again, whether he liked him or not.  
  
Harry stood upright and proud, all his earlier aches and pains forgotten. He pushed away the doubt that he wouldn't be able to do what he was planning to do. It had been many, many years since he had used that wild, uncontrolled magic.  
  
It was no time to harbour doubts.  
  
The troll leader was advancing on him now, huge clawed hand raised.  
  
Harry steeled himself and closed his eyes. Desperately searching for that raw, frantic magic of his childhood. Praying that it would be enough to save he and Draco both.  
  
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A/N: Not much to say this time except.. thanks again to my reviewers! It's appreciated more than you know!  
  
There was actually supposed to be more to this chapter, from Draco's pov, but I decided to save it for the next one. Again I wrote most of this at work (helps keep me sane at an extremely boring job) so sorry if some parts don't made sense. Trying to write and appear to be working at the same time can be difficult.. :o) Again, this may be changed around and edited later on.. depends if I change my mind or not.. 


	8. chapter seven

Chapter Seven  
  
(Beta: Liz)  
  
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Any pain or discomfort Draco had felt earlier had been forgotten. Any feelings of anger or loathing towards Harry Potter were extinguished. In fact beneath his terror, he felt a new respect forming for his rival. And he didn't like it.  
  
He brushed those thoughts aside. If he survived the night then he'd worry about any warm fuzzy feelings he was developing for Harry (oh, so it was Harry now!).  
  
He could hear their chaser gaining ground. His heart nearly stopped when he realized there was more than one set of thundering footsteps. It sounded like an entire herd of monsters were chasing them. They seemed to be all around them.  
  
He silently willed Harry to go faster. But he could tell the other boy was tiring.  
  
Draco knew that Harry must be on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Fear and panic could only drive him for so long before his body would just give out.  
  
A jolt of pain from his injured ankle made Draco want to kick himself for his earlier bout of foolish clumsiness. If he hadn't hurt himself he'd be able to flee on his own two feet and wouldn't be such a burden to Harry.  
  
In fact, he was quite embarrassed over a lot of the behavior he had shown in the forest. He had never reacted well when panicked. His mind would always become incapable of rational thought.  
  
And, even though he would curse whoever dared say it aloud, he had an extremely low threshold for pain. Even a sprained ankle felt like it could be the death of him. As a matter of fact it could very well be. Not only his death, but Harry's as well.  
  
Draco realized he had a near death grip on Harry's shoulders, hardly noticing his now numb fingers. Frozen digits didn't seem too important when you had a monster (or monsters as the case may be) on your tail.  
  
He nearly lost his grip when something lashed across his face. Whatever it was (probably a low branch) stinging the chilled flesh of his cheek. With it brought a stab of annoyance towards Harry. Now that was a feeling he recognized. It was certainly more comforting than any Potter-friendly ones he was experiencing. He allowed himself to relish in its familiarity for a moment. But it didn't last; he couldn't help but admire Harry's determination and bravery.  
  
For one insane moment Draco considered finding a way to convince Harry to just leave him. But his instinct of self-preservation killed that little inkling of bravery. Courage wasn't one of his strongest virtues.  
  
No, he didn't want to die. And he certainly didn't want to be left behind. He would just have to deal with the fact that he was a helpless burden in this whole mess.  
  
Draco just hoped boy wonder had some sort of plan on how to get out of this mess. As it was, he reminded himself, mostly Harry's fault.  
  
His breath caught painfully in his throat when Harry stopped suddenly. Those ominous sounds were coming from all around them now. He didn't need his sight to realize that they were surrounded.  
  
Harry seemed frozen beneath him, probably from fear at the first sight of the beasts.  
  
All hope Draco had that Harry had come up with some miraculously clever plan to save them both quickly faded.  
  
This wasn't how Draco pictured his end. He always figured he would die some noble way, complete with much weeping. Quite possibly a statue built in his honor and a holiday named after him. "Draco Malfoy Day", had a nice ring to it, didn't it?  
  
He found it highly unlikely they named holidays after teenaged wizards-in- training who wound up eaten by some grotesque monster after getting lost in the forest. Even if said wizard was a Malfoy.  
  
It was more likely Draco Malfoy would be remembered as the boy who died alongside the great Harry Potter. The famous young hero who met his untimely end valiantly trying to protect a fellow student. Definitely not how he wished to be remembered.  
  
He was about to let himself wallow in self-pity when he was lowered to the ground. His quick flash of panic quickly subdued when Harry muttered reassuringly, "Stay put."  
  
Draco hoped that this was a part of a potential plan, as long as Harry's plan didn't consist of sacrificing him to the monsters.  
  
Away from Harry Draco felt very cold and alone as he began to shiver uncontrollably. Though whether from the cold or fear he wasn't sure.  
  
All seemed to be quiet for a few minutes, the creatures making almost no noise other than their low, deep breathing.  
  
He suppressed a yelp of terror when he both heard and felt, through the vibrations of the ground, something very large step towards them. Apparently Harry had froze again, the other boy's frantic breathing was the only sound Draco could hear him make.  
  
His hoped died as Draco braced himself for what now seemed to be inevitable.  
  
He was knocked flat on his back by an unmistakable burst of raw, desperate magic.  
  
From his spot on the ground, ears still ringing from the sheer force of that magical explosion he felt the ground shake as something very large fell to earth.  
  
Draco struggled to regain both his breath and to comprehend just what had happened. Who (or what) had conjured such a powerful burst of magic? What was it that he felt falling to the ground? What happened to the monsters about to attack them?  
  
His questions were cut off suddenly when something fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him again. Reaching up to push whatever it was off he realized it was a body. Definitely a human shaped body.  
  
A quick exploration with his hands confirmed it was indeed Harry that had fallen on top of him. From what Draco could tell he was alive but unconscious and unresponsive. But why? What had happened to him?  
  
Realization dawned on Draco then. That burst of magic must have come from Harry. But how? He had heard of wizards using magic without wands before, but never as powerful as what he had just felt. Harry must be a very powerful wizard to accomplish such a feat, without a wand no less.  
  
To say Draco was impressed would have been a grave understatement. He was in complete awe of the other boy. And a little frightened.  
  
Now he could see why everyone seemed to think Harry Potter was so great.  
  
After all the effort the other boy had put out Draco could understand why Harry was unconscious. After all the goings on of the night Harry definitely deserved a rest.  
  
Draco tried to find a comfortable position beside Harry on the cold ground, praying their attackers had been successfully banished by Harry's burst of magic and weren't just lying knocked out nearby. They wouldn't stand a chance if anything decided to attack them now.  
  
He kept his ears trained for any sound of danger as he kept his vigil by Harry's side, the sound of the other boy's chattering teeth distracting him.  
  
He felt a very unfamiliar (and unwelcome) rush of gratitude towards his unconscious companion. And as though of their own accord he felt his fingers unfasten his cloak and clumsily cover Harry with it.  
  
Draco drew his knees up to his chest, the freezing night air cutting through is thin shirt, and wondered what had possessed him to show such kindness towards his greatest rival.  
  
Was he, Draco Malfoy, turning ~nice~?  
  
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A/N: Argh! Draco was being such a pain this chapter! I couldn't get him to act like I wanted him to. ~Hits Draco over the head with a pillow~ So I'm a bit disappointed at how it turned out. But I'm lazy so it'll have to do. I still plan to finish this little story in a few chapters or so, crappy or not!  
  
Thanks so much for the reviews! DClick: That would have been an interesting typo indeed, lol Mindel: This is as comforting as I could get Draco to be, hehe. There really isn't much he can do in his condition.  
  
Up next (I think) Snape vs. the Cockatrice duo... 


	9. chapter eight

Chapter Eight  
  
(Beta: The amazing Liz (again!)  
  
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The forest was almost completely silent around him. Snape found it quite eerie, as though all the creatures that lived there had ceased whatever they had been doing just to watch the standoff between him and the two very angry looking cockatrices.  
  
He stood shock still, wand aimed and ready (double checking that it was indeed ~his~ wand this time), yet totally at a loss how to defeat the two beasts. He racked his brain for any clue, trying desperately to remember what Hagrid had told him.  
  
Cockatrices were rare in this part of the world so they were not normally heard about. It was a minor miracle that Hagrid had managed to acquire one such beast, let alone six.  
  
Snape decided if he survived the night he would have a good long talk with his fellow professor about his choice of pets.  
  
He contemplated several hexes and curses but hesitated to use them. While it may be successful in taking down one beast it might just push the other over the edge.  
  
He silently cursed his indecision. He had been out of action for too long and it was starting to show. In his younger days he would never have hesitated in throwing every spell he knew at the two creatures. He hated growing old.  
  
Right now the beasts seemed to be studying him, trying to size him up, showing themselves to be more intelligent than he would have given them credit for.  
  
Some sort of unspoken communication seemed to pass between the two cockatrices as they moved closer. One inching it's way behind him.  
  
As they crept closer Snape wished he'd done a little more personal research on the beasts. He didn't know if he was going to be eaten or just ripped to shreds. Neither sounded particularly pleasant.  
  
He now thoroughly regretted issuing that detention to Potter and Malfoy. He should have just had them organize his store cupboard or sent them to Filch.  
  
Hindsight was ever perfect.  
  
He realized that if he wanted even a chance to get out of this unscathed he'd better do something. Anything.  
  
It took narrowly missing a swipe from one of the beast's vicious claws to push Snape into action.  
  
He started throwing whatever curse he could think of in each of the beast's general direction. Beyond caring anymore what unwanted attention his spell casting was directing towards himself. He'd worry about that later.  
  
The cockatrices seemed surprised at his sudden outburst and Snape pressed that advantage.  
  
He managed to subdue one of the creatures in bindings but it didn't look like that would hold it for long. He was about to stun it into unconsciousness when the other beast came to its senses and entered the fray.  
  
Snape overbalanced for a few vital seconds while he quickly tried to change direction to redirect his attack. The beast took quick advantage of his moment of unbalance and struck out.  
  
This time hitting its target, it's brutal claws digging into the flesh of his arm.  
  
His now injured arm only fazed Snape for a second; he was no stranger to pain, and he renewed his assault.  
  
But the first cockatrice had fought its way free of the bindings and, from the look in its eyes, was enraged.  
  
The smell of Snape's now flowing blood seemed to drive his attackers more. They knew their prey was injured now.  
  
Seeing his growing disadvantage he considered running. But he realized if, by some miracle, his use of magic hadn't attracted any more potential attackers then the scent of his blood surely would. Better just deal with the problem at hand.  
  
Snape squared his shoulders in determination and prepared for the next wave of battle. He hoped if he could just stay alive long enough the creatures would show a weakness that he could exploit.  
  
It was at this moment that he felt it. Unfocused magic swept over his body in a wave, only weakened by distance.  
  
Snape had never felt anything like it before. But he could feel the desperation and fear behind it, which gave him a suspicion as to where (and who) it might have come from.  
  
He was quickly brought back to his current predicament when he realized the cockatrices were on the move again.  
  
But this time they were moving away from him. Quickly disappearing into the forest, in the opposite direction that that magical wave had come from. It apparently had scared them off.  
  
He took a moment to heal his arm and marvel at the first bit of good luck he had received that night.  
  
The forest was now buzzing around him. Some of the more skittish creatures, like the cockatrices, seemed frightened and were hastily emerging from their hiding places to flee from such a powerful use of magic, while others seemed drawn to it.  
  
If Snape's suspicion was right, it would lead them straight to his two missing students. So he himself headed off towards where he had felt it come from.  
  
Another good thing had come from that magical outburst; his use of magic had been forgotten. But he was still cautious as he went deeper into the forest.  
  
He walked for what seemed like ages but other than a snapped twig that sounded too close he was left alone.  
  
As more time passed Snape was starting to lose hope that he would find his students. He began to wonder whether his assumption that one of them had created that magic burst had been correct.  
  
Maybe they had been the victims of it. Not a thought he wished to dwell on.  
  
Guilt started to eat away at him and he seriously considered finding his way back to the school and getting help. Even if it did mean he'd surely lose his job.  
  
But he pressed on, tortured by indecision again.  
  
Snape entered a small clearing and stopped. It looked like some sort of explosion had occurred there. Branches snapped off, twigs everywhere. Several large creatures, which he identified as forest trolls lay, apparently unconscious (or dead), on the ground.  
  
And right in the middle of it all were his two students. Finally he had found them.  
  
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A/N: Yay! Another chapter done! Shortest one yet, I think. I have a hard time writing action sequences, so hope it made sense, lol. I'm thinking there will be two, maybe three more and then it'll be finished :O)  
  
Again thanks for the reviews!  
  
Cherry: Thanks so much!  
  
Crayon: your review really did help! Your enthusiasm is contagious! Thanks for reviewing again. I wrote most of this at work (I have a really boring job) that's the only way I can update so frequently. I'm so going to get fired, lol.  
  
Gabriella: Thanks again for reviewing!! It wasn't my intention to have the boys get it on in this story, even though the plot is very similar to countless Harry/Draco slash fics, lol. Nope, there isn't going to be any slash in this story. I am thinking of getting them together in my next fic, they're irresistible together :P  
  
Reviewer who didn't leave a name: thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. 


	10. chapter nine

Chapter Nine  
  
(Beta: Liz)  
  
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Harry awoke slowly, feeling very groggy. The first thing he became aware of was that he hurt. His entire body was sore, as though he'd just played a long and quite violent game of Quidditch.  
  
He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to move. He just wanted to stay where he was, lying on the... Cold ground? Huh?  
  
And why was it so quiet?  
  
His eyes snapped open as the events of the evening came rushing back to him.  
  
As the world came back into focus Harry realized he was indeed laying on the cold, hard ground. It was still night, and still quite cold.  
  
He struggled to sit up; every muscle in his body seemed to protest that movement.  
  
Harry thought he gasped when his eyes caught a huge shape lying in front of him.  
  
It took him a moment to realize it was one of those troll creatures that had attacked he and Draco. It appeared to be dead.  
  
Harry stared, wide-eyed. Had he done that?  
  
He didn't realize he had that much power. If he'd managed to destroy a creature as huge as the one lying in front of him, he didn't even want to think of what he could do to another person.  
  
His heart jumped to his throat when he remembered he wasn't alone in this mess. Draco had been with him the whole time. But where was the other boy now?  
  
Harry was starting to feel sick with dread when it occurred to him his little stunt could have killed the one he had been trying to protect.  
  
So he was quite relieved when he saw Draco sitting beside him, alive and apparently uninjured (other than the injuries he'd already procured.)  
  
He was bemused to see that Draco was shivering almost uncontrollably. Then he realized why.  
  
Some time when Harry had been unconscious Draco had covered him with his cloak, leaving himself exposed to the almost frigid night air for an unknown amount of time.  
  
Harry was touched, grateful and a bit surprised. That was a very un-Malfoy like thing to do. Draco wasn't known as the self-sacrificing type. Harry was definitely starting to look at the other boy in a different light.  
  
Concern interrupted his musings when he noticed that Draco's lips were starting to gain a distinct bluish tint from the cold. The other boy only had on a thin shirt.  
  
How long had he been exposed to the cutting wind?  
  
Switching back to protective mode, he staggered to his feet and wrapped Draco back up in his cloak. The other boy must have been so miserable he didn't even respond at the sudden contact.  
  
"Thanks." Harry muttered, suddenly feeling awkward (and cold!) Not to mention sore and still very exhausted.  
  
He stiffly sat down next to Draco, shoulders touching.  
  
Now it was Harry's turn to shiver. He felt a sudden wave of helplessness and defeat. He was tired, sore and cold and just wished it would all be over, one way or another.  
  
He would have been quite content to just sit there and wallow in his own misery for a while but Draco had other ideas.  
  
He grabbed Harry's arm tightly, that now familiar terrified expression on his face.  
  
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes (not that Draco would have been able to see him do it either way).  
  
What now?  
  
He just didn't have the energy to fight anymore. Especially considering they would more than likely freeze to death if they were victorious anyway.  
  
But Harry couldn't help but tense for battle when his eyes caught what was distressing Draco so.  
  
Something was emerging from the bushes nearby.  
  
He could just make out its shadow in the darkness. It was certainly much smaller than the trolls had been.  
  
It stepped into the moonlight and Harry sighed in relief. Going limp as the tension left his body.  
  
He never thought he'd actually welcome the sight of Professor Snape, but Harry found himself resisting the urge to jump up and envelope his sour teacher in a hug.  
  
He also couldn't help but notice, with amusement, that his teacher looked more miserable then Harry felt.  
  
Snape actually looked disheveled. Twigs and leaves stuck in his tangled black hair. His scowling face covered in scratches and dirt. His normally immaculate robes were rumpled, torn and dirty. And.wasn't that Harry's cloak he was wearing??  
  
When Prof. Snape caught sight of them his expression went from obvious relief to a strange mixture of concern and anger.  
  
But Harry would gladly face Snape's wrath rather then stay out in the forest.  
  
He allowed himself another tentative sigh of relief. At last the ordeal was over.  
  
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Draco listened as Harry slowly started to revive, but he couldn't really bring himself to care.  
  
He was so cold.  
  
It had taken all his self-control to not take back the cloak he'd covered Harry with. He was starting to regret his moment of generosity.  
  
Even his sore, throbbing ankle had ceased to become an issue as his body slowly froze.  
  
He almost considered crawling under the cloak with Harry. But just the thought turned his stomach.  
  
While Draco might have felt some almost friendly feelings towards the other boy they didn't quite extend to sharing any more close physical contact. He'd had quite enough of that riding on the boy's back, thank you very much.  
  
Better becoming a human ice sculpture then snuggling up with Harry Potter.  
  
But he was quite grateful when his companion had woken up and given the cloak back. Draco was already starting to warm up under the heavy fabric.  
  
As Harry sat back down next to him Draco felt that annoying stab of guilt again.  
  
Harry had saved his life and now Draco was leaving him in the cold to freeze.  
  
He felt quite foolish for hanging on to a childish grudge at a time like this and was about to offer to share the cloak when a nearby sound diverted his attention yet again.  
  
Please not again!  
  
He didn't even realize he had gripped Harry's arm until he felt the other boy tense beneath his fingers.  
  
Draco felt an insane urge to scream in frustration.  
  
Why couldn't they just be left alone?  
  
He was quite baffled when he heard Harry.. Sigh with relief?  
  
His confusion/panic must have shown because a familiar voice spoke.  
  
"Relax, Mr. Malfoy. It's just me." Even in the cold of the forest Prof. Snape spoke in his typical near drawl.  
  
Snape's voice was the most welcome sound to Draco's ears.  
  
But he still managed to sound quite petulant when he said through chattering teeth, "Finally! What took you so long?"  
  
He could almost hear Prof. Snape bristle at that remark.  
  
Draco chastised himself. This was no time to act like the spoiled brat everyone thought him to be. If he kept it up, he'd never get his sight back.  
  
Snape chose to ignore Draco's comment and instead he asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
Draco bit back the sarcastic retort he wanted to give that question. Answering with a simple, "No."  
  
Despite his best attempt not to he still managed to sound grumpy and sullen.  
  
He had almost forgotten Harry was there until the other boy spoke up. Voice overly loud again, yelling into the near silence of the forest.  
  
"What?"  
  
'Oh no, he wasn't going to start that again.' Draco thought with a stab of disdain. His earlier feelings of gratitude forgotten in light of being rescued.  
  
"Keep you voice down Mr. Potter!" Snape hissed. Voice full of his usual venom.  
  
Draco suppressed a snicker at the fact that Harry couldn't hear Snape's admonitions.  
  
Harry must have understood though, because the next time he spoke his voice was much quieter.  
  
"So, are you going to set us right then?" Draco heard him ask, at least attempting to sound respectful. But he didn't doubt that Harry was just as unhappy as he was with their professor.  
  
When Prof. Snape spoke Draco was pleased to note that his head of house sounded a bit, well, flustered. A state Draco never thought him capable of.  
  
"Of course, but."  
  
He idly wished he had his vision back already. He'd love to see the dreaded potions professor in his moment of humility.  
  
Served the man right, Draco thought malevolently. He wasn't feeling at all forgiving at that moment. Not after the night he'd just spent. In fact, in the back of his mind, he was already plotting his revenge on his teacher. Maybe he could even get him sacked.  
  
Nothing could have prepared him for what Prof. Snape said next though.  
  
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A/N: Very special Thanks to... bthatcher2002, zeynel, NemKess, Canceria and nite3 for their much welcomed reviews! They are very much appreciated :o) 


	11. chapter ten

Chapter Ten  
  
Warning! Slightly out-of-character Snape ahead!  
  
(this chapter hasn't been beta read yet)  
  
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"But first I must ensure your.. discretion over the events of the evening." Snape said, wishing he sounded a bit surer of himself when he said that.  
  
He had no doubt his student wouldn't react well to that statement but it had to be done. His job was at stake.  
  
While, with some choice words and threats, he would probably be able to get Potter to agree to let him off the hook over the backfired punishment. He knew Malfoy, on the other hand, would be out for his blood and nearly impossible to turn.  
  
And the last thing he wanted was a vengeful Malfoy after him.  
  
As tempting as using a memory charm on the boys was he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't have much experience performing them (charms never had been his strongest ability) and it could too easily backfire. He could accidentally erase all the boys' memories. Then he'd be in even worse trouble.  
  
So now he was about to resort to bribery.  
  
Whatever these boys wanted, if it was in his power to deliver, they would get it. He just prayed they didn't ask for anything that would degrade him too much. The two of them had already given his ego quite a knock and he wasn't sure his poor injured pride could handle it.  
  
That was the main cause of his discomfiture.  
  
He was almost desperate to get his students to agree to this. And by the look on Malfoy's face, it was going to be as difficult as he thought.  
  
"You want what?!" The blonde boy burst out, still sitting on the ground. Glaring off somewhere over Snape's right shoulder with his opaque eyes. A flabbergasted look on his face that Snape would have found amusing in different circumstances.  
  
Potter, for his part, just sat there. Confused and completely oblivious to the proclamation his teacher had just made.  
  
But the professor forgot all about Potter when Malfoy continued his tirade. Which was quickly escalating into a hissy fit.  
  
"You expect me to keep quiet about this?!" Malfoy spat out in a voice that was rapidly increasing in volume and pitch.  
  
Snape was glad the boy was temporarily blind. As it was surely only a matter of time until he would start throwing things. It was less likely, as the intended target, he'd get hit by whatever projectiles the sightless Malfoy chose to throw.  
  
He could see Malfoy starting to clench his fists and his cheeks starting to flush with colour.  
  
Pretty soon Malfoy's hissy fit would have to be upgraded into a full-blown temper tantrum.  
  
Potter still looked confused (a look Snape recognized from his potions class). Eyes sweeping back and forth between his teacher and classmate, trying to grasp what was going on.  
  
Realizing that Malfoy expected some kind of response to his question, Snape tried to explain himself.  
  
"Well, not all of it of course." He said, struggling to regain the cool confidence his voice usually projected. "Just the..umm..specifics of your actual punishment."  
  
Oh, how he wished that last part hadn't sounded so lame.  
  
"You mean leave out the parts that will get you into trouble." Malfoy's voice was deadly quiet now, giving the semblance of composure. But Snape wasn't fooled. Just like Lucius this signaled the calm before the storm.  
  
"You drag me out into the freezing cold where you cripple me. Then you force me, blind and helpless, into the same pen as violent and dangerous beasts. Beasts, which attack and nearly kill me. And you expect me to keep QUIET ABOUT IT?!" Malfoy was yelling now. Full of indignant rage.  
  
Snape couldn't resist a sardonic grin as he listened to Malfoy bluster and storm.  
  
Everything was always 'Me, me, me' with the boy. He seemed to forget that he hadn't been in alone in the whole thing.  
  
"I'm going to have your job for this." Malfoy hissed. "And just wait until I tell my father."  
  
Now that was not unexpected. The boy was nothing if not predictable.  
  
As Malfoy ranted on, Snape felt his patience threaten to break. The night hadn't been particularly pleasant for him either. And most of the night's mishaps had been the boys' fault. They're the ones who had started the fight in his classroom.  
  
But he held his temper in check, remembering that the two teens indeed held his job in their hands. He hated being spoken to so by a student, but he felt he had no choice.  
  
As Malfoy went on about the horrors he'd endured that night, Snape tried to get a word in edgewise. Finally having to resort to raising his voice.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Please cease your incessant whining and let me finish!"  
  
As Malfoy finally shut his mouth and sunk into a sullen silence Snape suddenly remembered Potter. Who, for once was NOT the one making a nuisance of himself.  
  
In fact the boy looked quite worse for wear. They both did actually. Their clothes torn and filthy. Faces pale and scratched under the dirt. Both so exhausted that they couldn't even bring themselves to their feet.  
  
Snape did his best to remain expressionless as another wave of guilt swept over him. He mentally pushed the maddening feeling aside.  
  
He carefully searched for the right words. He wanted to get this right. He didn't know if he could stop himself from muting Malfoy if the boy went on another rampage.  
  
As an afterthought he cast the same spell he had earlier so that Potter could read his words.  
  
"I would not ask for your silence without offering something in exchange of course." He started.  
  
That piqued Malfoy's interest while Potter still looked puzzled.  
  
"I'd be willing to offer whatever is in my power to give in exchange for your silence." Maybe he shouldn't have sounded so desperate when he said that.  
  
He watched as realization dawned on Potter and Malfoy considered what he was offering.  
  
It didn't surprise him that the Slytherin was the first to speak, still looking blindly through him.  
  
"Anything?" The boy asked. A devious grin on his face that made Snape's skin crawl.  
  
He began to feel a bit sick; he'd been dreading this question.  
  
How he wished he didn't need to do this. But, he begrudgingly admitted, he had had a lapse in judgment when he came up with this punishment. And that lapse could very well cost him his job. And although he didn't particularly enjoy teaching obnoxious little brats it was sadly all he had. And there was great shame in being sacked from his job like a common Muggle.  
  
And by doing this, while it meant keeping his job (and his pride) he knew he lost whatever control he had over these two.  
  
He would be in their debt and he couldn't think of two worse people he could be indebted to.  
  
He knew Draco, being the regular chip off the proverbial block he was, he would milk the situation for all it was worth. Snape would spend the rest of the boy's schooldays in his pocket. And he was certain a day wouldn't pass when he wouldn't be reminded of that fact.  
  
But Potter on the other hand, he was the wild card. Snape had no idea how he'd react. He could either take advantage of his teacher's predicament and get revenge for all the years that the potions professor had given him a hard time. Or he could show some pity and actually take responsibility for his own actions. But he found the latter highly unlikely.  
  
He braced himself for the worst before he answered.  
  
"Yes", he said. Pleased to hear the confidence returning to his voice. But he quickly backpedaled when he saw Malfoy's grin grow more sinister.  
  
"But within limits!!" He quickly said, a note a panic returning.  
  
Malfoy just raised an eyebrow. He could almost hear wheels of the boy's conniving little mind working. No doubt coming up with the most unreasonable, embarrassing request he could think of. Fully intent on revenge.  
  
But Potter remained quiet. A silence that Snape was starting to find unnerving.  
  
As the silence grew he was hit by a wave of apprehension and he felt his patience finally break.  
  
"Oh just get on with it!" He snapped.  
  
Malfoy's eyebrow just went higher, threatening to disappear beneath his brow and his expression grew more amused.  
  
Snape had to resist the almost overpowering urge to punch the little twit in the face.  
  
"Well Professor," Malfoy began, his tone deceptively sweet. "My silence won't come cheap. And since I don't lack in riches you may find yourself making more..personal sacrifices."  
  
Oh what could that wretched boy have in mind? There was something about the way the boy said that that sent a shiver down the professor's spine. He could tell Malfoy was enjoying tormenting him already.  
  
He reluctantly resigned himself to his fate, bracing himself as Malfoy continued.  
  
The boy was practically glowing with sadistic glee, Potter all but forgotten beside him.  
  
"So, here's what I expect from you."  
  
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A/N: ARRRGGGHHH!! ~wipes sweat from brow~ That was the most frustrating chapter I've written yet. Sevvie was being such a bitch! No matter what I did he kept going so out of character. Is the whole bribery thing a bit redundant? I thought it would be an interesting twist but it didn't turn out as I wanted it to. I'm too lazy to change it though, lol. I just started college so I've been pretty busy with classes and stuff. And as of right now, I have no idea what "personal sacrifice" Draco is going to ask for, lol.  
  
Wow! There were so many amazing reviews for Chapter nine! I didn't even realize I left you on such a cliffhanger, lol. Hope this chapter didn't come out too anticlimactic.  
  
Big Thanks to: bthatcher2002, Creamy Mimi, Liza, A Big Sign That Says FLAME ME, Kanoi, nite3, Norvegica, Avada Kedavra (wow, I'm in someone's favourites! ~is flattered~), AshFarley (awww, I got a two year nephew as well, but he isn't as polite as yours, he'd just demand "More!" lol), simmysim (so, are you going to update your draco/Sirius fic soon? Hint, hint), eMJay, Jess Scefing (every day should be Draco day, shouldn't it? Hehe. Thanks for the many reviews :o), schism, Cerberis and those reviewers who didn't leave any name.  
  
~Big Hugs~ I can't say thanks enough! The reviews were great, they really made my day. 


	12. chapter eleven

Chapter Eleven  
  
Quick note: There appears to be some confusion as to how Harry will know what is going on. Snape cast a spell so his words would spell out in the air (wow, there's a spell for everything :P). So Harry is reading what is said.  
  
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Draco was sure he was in heaven.  
  
He loved having people at his mercy. And the fact that it was Snape only increased his enjoyment.  
  
He now had control over someone who used to have control over him.  
  
He had long forgotten about the cold, his throbbing ankle, Potter and the events of the night.  
  
Draco's mind was filled with not only ways to make his professor's life as miserable as possible, but how he could benefit most from the situation as well.  
  
What did Snape have that he wanted?  
  
He knew he needn't bother asking Snape to alter his Potions grade, as he already was top of the class.  
  
He couldn't believe the normally shrewd Head of Slytherin house had made such a miscalculation to find himself in this position. It was very un- Snape-like and Draco wondered if the man was starting to lose his touch.  
  
Still Draco had to admit the initial punishment had been a brilliant idea. And if Potter hadn't been such a clumsy idiot it probably would have been quite effective.  
  
Oh well, it worked out to his advantage. And that's all that mattered.  
  
Having a professor in his pocket would definitely have its perks. He could probably now get away with almost anything.  
  
Even though bearing the name Malfoy gave him a certain amount of freedom down in the dungeons the rest of the teachers were not at all cowed by his family's reputation. In fact many seemed to issue him harsher punishments in spite of his name.  
  
But now, he realized, he could have his run of the school and just have Snape cover for him with the other teachers.  
  
He liked that idea. Do whatever he wanted and not have to face the consequences. Sure, that would make life difficult for his teacher. Snape would certainly raise his fellow staff member's suspicions by constantly condoning Draco's bad behavior. But Draco didn't see how that was his concern.  
  
It would be but one small payment for the pain and humiliation he'd endured in that evening.  
  
He could also see the advantages of having a renowned potions master at his beck and call. Whatever potion he desired, legal or otherwise, he was sure it was in the professor's ability to concoct.  
  
Perhaps an effective little love potion could be brewed for him. To help him win over a certain seventh year Slytherin girl who kept insisting on resisting Draco's countless charms.  
  
But he was digressing. Back to the matter at hand.  
  
Sweet revenge.  
  
Draco's mind filled with the various ways he could make Snape suffer. Focusing mainly on injuring what the man seemed to hold most dear. His pride.  
  
Oh, the possibilities.  
  
He wondered if Snape had a nice singing voice. Draco just might request a verse of the national anthem one morning during breakfast. That would certainly get everyone in a patriotic mood.  
  
Or maybe he should get his teacher to wear another colour besides the same dreadful black. He could just see Snape in robes a lovely shade of pink.  
  
The image of Snape professing his undying love to Professor McGonagall in the middle of a bustling Hogwarts corridor caused Draco's smile to grow. So much so it threatened to break his face.  
  
He didn't think he'd tire of this. There was no end to what degradation he could come up with.  
  
He was distantly aware that he must be grinning like a fool, but he couldn't find it in him to really care.  
  
"Oh, do stop smirking Mr. Malfoy and get on with it." Snape's impatient and irritated voice snapped. Bringing Draco out of his contemplation.  
  
But hearing his teacher's somewhat desperate voice only made his smile grow (if possible).  
  
This was going to be fun.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~  
  
Harry sat on the cold ground digesting what Snape had just said. Again he wondered if this was some strange dream.  
  
If it was it certainly was turning into a pleasant one.  
  
Harry had been certain that Snape would have found a way to blame all the nights events on him. But now it looked like his teacher had no choice but to take the responsibility.  
  
Now Harry had the opportunity to get the revenge he'd always dreamed of getting on one who had caused him so much grief. How many hours had he wasted away in unjustly given detentions wishing for such an opportunity?  
  
Just the look on Snape's face was almost reward enough and Harry wished Ron and Hermione were there to see it.  
  
But for all his dreams of revenge Harry couldn't think of what to ask of Snape. He found himself almost feeling sorry for the man. He was in half a mind to ask for nothing in exchange for his silence.  
  
But images of Snape's past transgressions, the unfair taking of house points, the insults, his endless harassment of Harry's fellow Gryffindors (particularly the unfortunate Neville Longbottom) brought Harry back to his senses.  
  
He wouldn't let the dour man off that easily.  
  
But something occurred to him then. Something that needed to be addressed.  
  
"How do we know you won't back out of your end of the deal?" He asked into the silence. Aware that his question was somewhat random.  
  
Harry realized that after a while Snape could simply abandon their deal. It was less likely people would believe Harry and Draco the more time that passed.  
  
A quick glance at Draco confirmed that the other boy had just realized this as well. The broad, somewhat diabolical grin that had been on Draco's face replaced by a look of suspicion.  
  
They both turned towards their teacher, awaiting his response.  
  
Snape drew himself up proudly and looked down his nose at them.  
  
"I'm a man of my word." As they solidified in the air for Harry, he could see the indignation painted in them.  
  
Well, that certainly wasn't the most reassuring response. But it looked like all they were going to get out of the stubbornly proud man.  
  
Harry was exhausted, cold, and not a little dirty. He just wanted his hearing back so he could finally get out of this nightmare.  
  
Snape's word would just have to be enough for now.  
  
After a moments hesitation he saw the same resolution on Draco's face.  
  
They were both weary and just wanted it over with.  
  
Again Snape's word shimmered before Harry.  
  
"So, do we have a deal?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~  
  
A/N: Almost finished now! This chapter dragged on a bit, I actually cut quite a bit out.  
  
Big thanks to..  
  
Jess Scefing (for the review and the cookie); Liza; simmysim; zeynel Kanoi; kokopoko; Aenea and Wildfire  
  
For their encouragements and comments! It's always appreciated :o) 


	13. chapter twelve

Chapter Twelve  
  
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Snape braced himself for the demands about to be placed on him.  
  
"As long as you keep your end we do." Malfoy stated firmly, difficult to the end.  
  
From Potter all he got was a tired nod.  
  
"Give me your demands and if they are in my ability to provide, I will return you both to normal." Snape forced his voice to sound cool and collected.  
  
"Return us to normal now." Malfoy whined petulantly.  
  
Little brat. The urge to render him mute rose again.  
  
Surprisingly it was Potter who came to his defense. Somewhat.  
  
"Oh, just tell him what you want Draco, so we can get out of here." He said, clearly exasperated.  
  
Snape was mildly surprised. Since when were the two rivals on a first name basis?  
  
Malfoy didn't have a retort, probably reluctantly agreeing. He just sat there in sulky silence for a few minutes.  
  
So Potter spoke up again, in a tired voice.  
  
And then it started, the part he'd been dreading. Snape had to bite his lip to keep from protesting at Potter's demands.  
  
The boy wanted him to be "nice" to the Gryffindors, accusing him of being unfair to those who deserved his wrath. He supposed he shouldn't have expected anything different from Potter. Self-sacrificing little git.  
  
He burned with resentment when he was told he was expected to deliver a public apology Monday morning during breakfast. A heartfelt plea for forgiveness to all those students he'd supposedly slighted or treated unfairly.  
  
He's composure nearly slipped when he realized what he was expected to do. But he stayed strong and reluctantly gave a curt nod of acceptance.  
  
"I would also like my cloak back." Potter concluded.  
  
Snape numbly handed to boy back his cloak.  
  
Not to be upstaged Malfoy hesitated no more in making his demands.  
  
In a single breath the boy had demanded everything from illegal potions to use of Snape's private chambers (for sordid purposes no doubt). It was no less than what Snape would have expected from him.  
  
He repressed a shudder as the boy continued, apparently no end to his greed or thirst for vengeance.  
  
His last demand of the evening nearly caused Snape to have heart failure. Was it possible to die from indignation?  
  
Not only was he expected to grovel for forgiveness come Monday morning, but he was expected to do it in the form of a song. If witnessing Severus Snape actually apologizing for his alleged misdeeds weren't shocking enough, the sound of his singing voice would surely send his audience into near conniptions.  
  
But of course he had no other choice. He hoped that if agreed to these outlandish demands easily enough that the two wouldn't be too upset when another consequence of this awful night was placed on their shoulders.  
  
The "disappearance" of Hagrid's cockatrices.  
  
The rare (and no doubt expensive) "pets" of Hagrids would definitely be missed and explanations would have to be made as to their whereabouts. And how they came to be traipsing freely through the Forbidden Forest.  
  
But Snape chose not to broach on that subject just yet.  
  
Malfoy's grating voice brought him back to his current reality.  
  
"That will be all for now." The boy said with a casual wave of his hand, like a prince dismissing a servant. With emphasis on the word 'now'.  
  
Snape sighed, thinking of the unpleasant tasks that lay ahead. Maybe it wasn't too late to do those memory charms. His wand hand twitched in anticipation.  
  
But he restrained and instead snapped out crossly.  
  
"Why are you two still sitting on the ground? Get up so we can get this over with."  
  
Malfoy glared with displeasure at his tone, but Potter was oblivious as he slowly got to his feet. The boy wavered slightly from what Snape hoped was fatigue before offering his hand to Malfoy. Surprising Snape again with their newfound camaraderie towards each other.  
  
Snape couldn't hide his concerned frown when he saw Malfoy, with Potter's help, struggle to his feet. They boy grimaced in pain and favoured his ankle, leaning on the other boy for support.  
  
And then Snape remembered the devastation around him. That powerful burst of magic and the fallen trolls. He had been so caught up in getting the boys cooperation he forgot the events that had occurred and the dangers of the forest.  
  
"What happened out here?" He asked.  
  
But the boys weren't in the mood to give any answers.  
  
"Set us right first!" Malfoy insisted, face paler than usual under the dirt.  
  
Right, better do that. He'd almost forgotten.  
  
With a casual wave of his wand he said the spell to release Malfoy from his temporary blindness.  
  
He gazed into Malfoy's eyes, expecting to see them clear up to their usual grey. But nothing happened.  
  
He waved his hand in front of Malfoy's face. No response.  
  
He mustn't have cast the spell right. He tried again.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He looked at his wand incredulously, seeing if it was at fault for his lack of success. But nothing seemed amiss.  
  
So he tried again. And again.  
  
"What's wrong? Why is it taking so long?" Malfoy demanded impatiently.  
  
Snape ignored him and turned his attention to Potter, casting the spell that should restore his hearing.  
  
Same result, the boy still could not hear. His green eyes widening with realization as he recognized the look of barely controlled panic on Snape's face.  
  
But the professor kept trying. But to no result.  
  
Catching on that something was terribly wrong Malfoy fell silent and both boys turned to their teacher for answers.  
  
But Snape didn't have any; he was at a complete loss.  
  
No matter what he tried he couldn't repair the damage he'd done.  
  
His heart was leaden with guilt as the awful truth set in. He ignored his students horrified stares but they both seemed to know.  
  
He couldn't fix what he had done. He didn't know how.  
  
Could things get any worse?  
  
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A/N: Hope more happened this chapter then in the last, which was uneventful I will admit. But I find it very entertaining to get inside Malfoy's head. But I really hope to finish this story soon, it's been fun.  
  
Thanks again to. zeynel, Kanoi, simmysim and monkee-maimer.  
  
For their reviews and continued support. 


	14. chapter thirteen

Chapter Thirteen  
  
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Draco lay in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, staring into the darkness. It was quiet, which wasn't surprising considering the lateness (or was it earliness) of the hour, save for Potter's (Harry's) steady breathing from somewhere to his left.  
  
The trip back to Hogwarts, through the forest, had seemed interminable. He had to be carried by Prof. Snape (who didn't seem to trust himself to perform any magic) due to his ankle. And in the eerily quiet of the forest he had felt despair like he'd never experienced it before.  
  
Once his numb mind had comprehended that it was a very good possibility that he could be permanently blind Draco had been swamped by a myriad of emotions.  
  
At first he was certain he was trapped in some incredibly vivid dream or the victim of some cruel yet spectacular prank. But the very real aches and pains put to rest the dream theory. And no one hated him enough to such an evil trick on him. Right? He wasn't that distasteful a person. Was he? Besides, no one would dare risk his wrath. Wouldn't they?  
  
But once the chilling reality finally sunk in he started to pray to whatever god would listen. Something he'd never done before. Promising to give his substantial inheritance to orphans if that's what it took to get his sight back.  
  
But that proved fruitless. He wasn't a religious person and pleading with unknown higher deities brought him little comfort.  
  
Anger consumed him then. Powerful and almost frightening in it's intensity. It seemed to feed him strength. He was angry with everyone by that point. Everyone who would see the sunrise come morning while he was permanently exiled to a world of darkness.  
  
He cursed his helplessness and wanted to strike out.  
  
And at no one more than the man he had once held in such high regard.  
  
Professor Snape whose pettiness and carelessness maimed him for life. All those childish humiliations he had thought of earlier as ways of revenge seemed more than pale in comparison to what Draco wanted to do to Snape now.  
  
But his strength born from rage was fleeting and his exhaustion returned. With it came a potent sense of anguish and loss as he thought of what had been taken away from him. And he realized how he had taken his sight for granted.  
  
He was in that state of mind when they had finally reached the school, the return trip free of any further altercation (which seemed to go against the theme of the evening).  
  
Draco had been barely aware when they entered the building, lost in his own misery. Not realizing he'd been deposited in the Hospital Wing until he heard Madam Pomphrey's gently chastising voice. Her words barely registering through the fog of his mind.  
  
"What have you boys gotten into this time?" She said as she fussed over him for a bit before moving off somewhere.  
  
Her next words though brought Draco out of his stupor.  
  
"I don't know how you two managed to do this. Robbing another of his senses is tricky business, but luckily for you I have just the thing to set you both right."  
  
Her words were like a bucket of freezing water being dumped over him. Why would she think he and Potter were responsible for their respective conditions?  
  
Of course, Snape.  
  
Draco remembered that stupid deal they had made. Obviously the teacher had held them to their word. He wondered where the man was now. If only he had his wand. (Was he ever going to get it back?)  
  
But his anger was short lived as the rest of her words finally sunk in.  
  
The nurse was trying to explain herself to an unhearing Harry when Draco interrupted her.  
  
"You'll be able to fix us?" He asked almost fearfully, hoping he hadn't misheard her.  
  
"That's what I said Mr. Malfoy." Pomphrey responded somewhat curtly.  
  
Relief coursed through Draco's body as though it were a physical entity. All he could think of was that he'd be healed. His sight would be returned to him. It looked like those orphans would be getting a fortune sometime in the near future.  
  
He felt such a rush of gratitude towards Madam Pomphrey. Having the urge to propose marriage to the one who'll perform this miracle.  
  
Both he and Harry had been fed some vile tasting medicine and were now waiting for it to work it's magic.  
  
As he lay quietly on a hospital bed waiting for his sight to return and his ankle to fully heal Draco felt sleep beckoning. But he couldn't seem to drift off. The events of the night kept going over and over in his mind.  
  
Foremost in his mind was Harry. The boy who he had always considered an enemy had saved Draco's life. Even though Draco couldn't say he would have done the same if the situation had been reversed, as he was certain Harry was more than well aware of. That coupled with the amazing show of power Harry had displayed earlier was enough to force Draco to reconsider his opinion of the other boy. One almost bordering on reverence.  
  
But did that change everything or nothing? When they awoke in the morning would they be at each other's throats as usual or would they be able to hold a civil conversation.  
  
Draco was fairly certain that they could never be the best of friends, they were just too different, but was the constant animosity over?  
  
Suddenly he couldn't stand the silence anymore. He had to talk to Harry, whose hearing was hopefully returned enough to hear him. He had to find out where they stood.  
  
"Pot - Harry?" He called out tentatively.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~  
  
Harry thought that he'd be able to sleep for a week after what he and Draco had endured but even as he lay safe and warm in the school's hospital wing he realized he was too restless to sleep. He was busy listening anxiously as sound slowly returned to him.  
  
He barely remembered returning to Hogwarts. The trip back seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye and in a complete blur. Again the feeling of being trapped in a bizarre (and vivid) dream had returned to him.  
  
But for the most part he'd been numb. His body running on autopilot while his mind was frozen with shock. He couldn't believe his deafness could be permanent. Even less believable was that the usually unflappable Prof. Snape could make such a grievous mistake. As much as Harry didn't like the man he did have a sort of begrudging respect for him and the things he'd done. But he never thought him capable of this.  
  
Snape had disappeared once Harry and Draco had been delivered to the school nurse and Harry distantly wondered what the teacher had told Madam Pomphrey.  
  
But he was brought back to earth when, after a few minutes of trying to comprehend with unhearing ears what Pomphrey was trying to tell him, that he deafness was curable.  
  
So he chocked down the disgusting tasting stuff he was given and now he waited. His ears straining as sounds returned to him. It was like cotton was slowly being pulled from his ears.  
  
He risked a glance towards Draco.  
  
Or should he go back to calling him Malfoy? Was the camaraderie between them over now that they'd escaped from the forest?  
  
Harry felt a twinge of sadness at that thought. He didn't want to go back to detesting each other. To the insults and the arguments. It was all just so tiring and repetitive.  
  
While Harry didn't mind a little competition he despised the tension that always prevailed around them.  
  
He wanted to speak to Draco, see how the other felt, but he hesitated.  
  
He couldn't see the other boy's face in the darkened room so he didn't know whether he was awake. He knew what he wanted to say but he wasn't sure that he wanted hear the response.  
  
Harry repressed a sigh of frustration. Maybe it would just be easier to let things go back to how they were. They would certainly have a hard time getting their other friends to understand any gracious feelings they had for each other.  
  
He was about to put the matter to rest and give in to the now insistent pull of sleep when a voice cut through the silence.  
  
It still sounded muffled to his ears and like it was coming from a great distance but Harry couldn't mistake the sound of his own name.  
  
And since there was only one other person in the room, (Madam Pomphrey had disappeared shortly after administering that medicine), there was no mistaking who had spoken.  
  
Encouraged somewhat by Draco's use of his first name Harry got up and went to him.  
  
"Mal - Draco?" He said, still hesitant. Tripping a bit over the name.  
  
This close Harry could see Draco's face. He noticed the other boy's eyes were returning to their normal grey.  
  
Draco seemed to hesitate as he squinted up at him.  
  
"Can you hear me?" Draco asked uncertainly.  
  
Harry gave him was he hoped was a smile of reassurance as he nodded.  
  
"Yes, it's not perfect yet but the medicine seems to be working."  
  
They sunk into an awkward silence after that, looking everywhere but at each other. Each trying to figure out what to say.  
  
Draco looked quite unnerved by the uncomfortable moment. He seemed almost to be struggling with something. But then it had passed, the classic Malfoy sneer marred Draco's features and Harry felt his heart sink.  
  
"Are you just going to stand there all night Potter?" Draco spat, voice full of the venom Harry had come to expect from him.  
  
Shaking his head in a mixture of disgust and regret Harry turned back to his own bed, deciding not to mention that Draco had been the one who spoke to him first. He was a fool to have expected anything different from a Malfoy.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Harry paused, not turning around, wondering if his still dodgy hearing had cased him to mishear the plea in Draco's voice.  
  
"I - I'm sorry." Another awkward pause. Harry was so shocked by the impromptu apology and change in tone he didn't think to ask what Draco was sorry for.  
  
"I just - I want.. I mean.." Draco spluttered.  
  
Harry had to turn and look at him. He could only stand there dumbly as Draco seemed to fumble for the right words.  
  
The other boy took what Harry supposed was a calming breath and looked him right in the eye.  
  
"Thank you." He stated simply.  
  
It was so heartfelt and sincere Harry couldn't doubt him. Draco Malfoy was showing him honest gratitude and Harry was flabbergasted.  
  
Paying no heed to Harry's stunned silence Draco plunged on.  
  
"I know I've been really awful to you in the past and I wasn't very helpful tonight but you still wouldn't leave me behind. You saved my life Harry." Draco was a picture of rare humility. "And I'm grateful."  
  
Harry could only gape at him like a fish out of water, at a total loss for words.  
  
A flash of hurt passed over Draco's face before it was promptly hidden behind a cool indifference. He was about to turn away when Harry spoke.  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
He mentally kicked himself, now that was lame. Okay, so he'd never had a way with words but Draco seemed appeased.  
  
The other boy gave Harry a somewhat cheeky half smile.  
  
"I guess it actually worked in my favour that you always have to be the hero." Draco chided playfully.  
  
Harry shot back, just as playfully, "I just can't help myself. Even if the damsel-in-distress is you."  
  
Draco pursed his lips at being referred to as a "damsel", but let loose a somewhat forced chuckle anyway.  
  
Harry made his way back to bed and they both lay in companionable silence for a while.  
  
Harry listened as his hearing became clearer and mused on the strange friendship developing between he and Draco.  
  
He was a bit surprised when Draco spoke again.  
  
"How'd you do it?" Came the whispered question from the bed next to his. "Kill those monsters I mean."  
  
Harry explained to him what he did and Draco was fascinated.  
  
Growing up surround by magic Draco must have taken for granted that it wasn't always there. And that there was non-conventional ways of using it.  
  
They spent the rest of the night talking about almost everything. But it wasn't until dawn when the question that been bothering them both was finally asked.  
  
"So what happens when we leave here?" Harry asked, "When we go back to our everyday lives?"  
  
Draco sighed, sounded a bit defeated. "I don't know."  
  
Harry turned towards him and met his intense gaze.  
  
"But I know this," Draco continued, "I'll never forget this night. And what you did for me."  
  
That would have to do Harry supposed.  
  
There was one more issue Harry realized they hadn't addressed yet.  
  
"What are we going to do about Snape?"  
  
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A/N: Argh! Writer's block sucks! That's why this chapter took so long. That and I'm no good at writing dialogue. Only one more chapter to go though and hopefully it'll conclude everything nicely and answer any unanswered questions.  
  
Thanks to: Talmahoy; monkee-maimer; venus4280; zeynel; Jess Scefing (thanks for pointing out that mistake!); Cypress The Faithfulness; Aenea; mystic- flower; S. Wing; simmysim  
  
For your reviews and support :o) 


	15. chapter fourteen

Chapter Fourteen  
  
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The bright Monday morning found Hogwarts potions professor in a foul mood. Well fouler than normal anyway. He had spent most of his weekend sealed away in his chambers keeping himself distracted from a growing sense of dread over what was to come by immersing himself in work. While normally this would involve brewing complicated potions this weekend found him absorbed in various texts. Trying to figure out where how he went wrong with the spells he used on Potter and Malfoy.  
  
Madam Pomphrey had visited him shortly after he had left his two students in her care, telling him that they would be all right. He had been immensely relieved but he wondered where that left things. He was also quite disconcerted by the look the school nurse had given him. Snape suspected she didn't believe his flimsy account of what had happened and was coming to her own conclusions. And she was no fool; he supposed it was only a matter before she figured it out.  
  
Yet another thing to worry about.  
  
And that left facing Potter and Malfoy. What were their reactions going to be? They had been too shell shocked that night to do much of anything but now they had had a couple of days to contemplate their revenge.  
  
Yes, he did expect some sort of retaliation over what he had done. Be it losing his job or having to humiliate himself in front of Hogwarts entire populace.  
  
Those thoughts had hung heavily over Snape and had fueled his need for answers. He supposed the effort was in vain anyway. The damage had been done. And though the boys had been repaired he still would be held accountable for what had transpired.  
  
And his searching had been fruitless. He couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. He didn't know whether he cast the spells wrong or whether he tried to lift them incorrectly.  
  
The weekend had been unproductive on many fronts. He still had no idea what to do about the missing Cockatrices or how the trolls had been defeated. And since he wanted to keep any interaction between himself and the boys to a minimum he supposed he would never really know.  
  
So having spent the weekend under incredible strain and with no sleep Snape was a formidable sight. As he stalked to his office whatever students who lingered in the halls fearfully darted out of his way, not wanting to risk being on the receiving end of his wrath.  
  
When he reached his destination he threw the door open with a bang, startling the two who had been lurking in his office.  
  
Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously but said nothing.  
  
Malfoy regained his cool quickly, smirking at him from behind Snape's desk. The boy was leaning back in Snape's impressive chair, his feet resting on the desk's immaculate surface. The boy looked extremely pleased with himself. Snape wanted to punch the smug grin off of his face. He just glared instead, causing the boy's smirk to grow to Cheshire cat proportions.  
  
Potter was flittering around the room somewhat nervously, like he didn't want to be here. Well, Snape could relate, he didn't want to be here either. When the boy ceased his nervous pacing he met Snape's eye with such a look of disdain and defiance the teacher wanted to curse him on the spot.  
  
"Good morning Professor," Malfoy chimed. His voice just dripping with insolence. "You're looking horrible. Rough weekend?"  
  
Again Malfoy was rewarded with a glare that could flash freeze lava. But the boy only laughed.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" Snape ground out, even though he knew the answer.  
  
"To collect what we're owed." Potter spoke this time, arms crossed over his chest, expression serious.  
  
"Exactly!" Malfoy added with excess cheerfulness. "I seem to remember making a certain deal. One that involved you giving us whatever we want in exchange for our silence over some... Unfortunate recent events that will remain nameless."  
  
So that was how it was going to be. Snape didn't know whether he was relieved or not. He guessed it could of all ended a lot worse. So counting his lucky stars and swallowing his pride he asked. "What do you want of me?" Trying to keep the hostility to a minimum.  
  
Potter looked thoughtful while Malfoy silently gloated, obviously enjoying himself way too much.  
  
"Hmm, good question." Malfoy said almost casually. "What do you think we should ask for Harry?"  
  
Again Snape found himself struck by the familiarity, the almost friendliness between the two. Wouldn't it be ironic if, despite all the mayhem it caused, his punishment was successful and the two boys learned to get along after all?  
  
"I believe he owes us a song." Potter said with mock innocence.  
  
Snape repressed a sigh. He'd hoped they'd forgotten about that at the very least.  
  
"Oh yes. A lament for forgiveness before the entire school if I remember correctly." Malfoy crowed.  
  
Potter nodded his agreement enthusiastically. "It'll probably be the most shocking thing to happen at Hogwarts, ever. And that's saying a lot." The grin dancing across his boyish face made Snape's skin crawl. Reminding him too much of James and why he'd disliked him so much.  
  
Trying to remain what was left of his shattered dignity Snape put on a brave face. "Very well. But I do ask for some time to prepare." He was delaying the inevitable really, but he did need time to think. If only to find out if he actually had a singing voice any more.  
  
Malfoy was standing now and heading towards the office door. "I don't think so." The boy said, sickly sweet. "We've been waiting all weekend and I, for one, have been looking forward to seeing you humble yourself."  
  
"I agree with you there, Draco." Potter piped up, joining the other boy at the door. "Besides, the sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can start giving the rest of what you owe."  
  
Snape sighed audibly this time, expressing his defeat. As two boys shared a victorious smile Snape swore that some time in the future he'd get back at them. Some time, some how.  
  
He left his office behind the boys. His head held high even though he felt like a man condemned, walking to his own execution.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~  
  
The atmosphere in the Hogwarts dining hall was subdued. Everyone still recovering from their weekends, the constant grey of November pulling down spirits.  
  
The week never seemed longer then on a Monday morning. While some looked forward to the week ahead, others wished the weekend could have been longer. It was a perfectly normal occurrence. But the normalcy was about to be disturbed.  
  
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley kept casting glances towards the large doors to the hall, wondering when their friend Harry would show up. He had been acting most odd all weekend. Never once mentioning a word about the detention he had served. A detention that had kept him away all Friday night. Even odder was the fact that their friend had not said one unfriendly word about a certain Malfoy with whom he had spent said detention. Hermione and Ron had been expecting nothing but full details over what Harry had endured after an evening with Draco Malfoy, but they had only received a strange silence. How weird.  
  
Across the room at the Slytherin table Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were casting similar looks in between bites. They felt a bit lost without Draco there. It was rare that he didn't join them for breakfast. Was he sick? He certainly hadn't been acting himself for a couple of days. Goyle was pretty sure he'd heard Draco mention something about meeting with Harry Potter. That couldn't have been right, he must have heard wrong. He was always doing that. But still, where was Draco? A quick glance towards the Gryffindor table showed that Potter was nowhere to be seen as well. But Goyle couldn't even begin to deduce what this all meant. Not with so much food around. Shrugging his shoulders he dug back into his breakfast.  
  
Not soon after the doors to the hall finally burst open with more noise then necessary. In entered Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. Together. Smiling. Not fighting or giving each other death glares. They actually looked almost friendly towards each other. With a parting wave the two went to their tables and sat down. Ignoring the questioning looks from their housemates. In fact they seemed to be expecting something, heads turned expectantly towards the doors they just came through.  
  
Minutes later Professor Snape entered. He seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. Everyone in the hall (save two) was a bit surprised. Usually the potions professor entered more discreetly through the staff entrance.  
  
Every eye in the hall followed the professor as he made his way to the front. Though the man held his head high each step he took seemed forced, like he was walking to his doom.  
  
Instead of taking his usual seat Professor Snape just stood at the front of the hall, earning curious (and somewhat fearful) stares.  
  
It was obvious to the students that even the staff knew not what was going on. Even Headmaster Dumbledore, having just returned from his weekend away, looked uncharacteristically perplexed.  
  
Snape seemed to steel himself, cleared his throat and opened his mouth as if to make some sort of important proclamation.  
  
It would be remembered for a long time, the strange scene that unfolded next. Many doubted their sanity when Hogwarts dreaded potions professor's actually quite melodious singing voice broke the silence.  
  
Nearly everyone in the room was completely dumbstruck save two who spared a moment to meet each others eyes.  
  
Harry smiled at Draco and Draco smiled back. Both thoroughly enjoying the first taste of their revenge. And though revenge was sweet, even sweeter was the tentative friendship they established.  
  
And it was only the beginning.  
The End  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~ A/N: Yes! It's finally finished! With a nice happy ending (my favourite kind). My first, fully complete bit of fan fiction. It's been good practice and a lot of fun. Reading back I can see a bit how my writing style evolved and changed.  
  
Now the important part, lol. I want to thank everyone who read and more importantly those who left reviews and feedback. That was all the motivation I needed.  
  
To the reviewers of chapter thirteen: S. Wing; Cypress The Faithfulness; Aarra; Aenea; mystic-flower and simmysim! Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement! You guys are awesome.  
  
So what's next for Moondancer. I've got a couple ideas kicking around we'll see if any of them take root. There may even be a sequel to this story, only time will tell.  
  
:o) 


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